Cheeky Angel
by xXkana-chanXx
Summary: Nodame and Chiaki complemented each other so perfectly, both in life and music. So why were they now living at opposite ends of the earth? Can two souls of one heart be united, once again? Or will there be obstacles and resistance... Finally concluded!
1. Prologue

Hi, there! I'm back with a new story... this time, I've taken an old theme and... spiced it a bit. I tried to make the overall atmosphere quite heavy and angsty, although I couldn't completely escape from my usual silliness... But I warn you beforehand, those with weak constitution should stop now... or not! Just kidding. Still, even if you end up hating me after reading this.. please don't flame me to death... T.T

Disclaimer: Nodame Cantabile and the characters within belong to Ninomiya sensei, not me.

* * *

**Prologue**

Dressed impeccably in a white tuxedo, Chiaki stood tall in front of the altar with his beautiful bride, clad in exquisite wedding dress, beside him. This should have been the happiest and proudest day of his life so far; the day when he finally made the woman he's been coveting for any time this past couple of years his, but he couldn't stop this tingling feeling that was tugging at his neck. What is this? Was he forgetting something? Perhaps, something important? But it was impossible that he, Chiaki Shinichi should forget something, not to mention something important.

So why was this foreboding in his heart telling him that something terrible was going to happen?

Wishing that the reverend would hurry with the ceremony, he fidgeted with his collar. It was too tight: that's why he was so uncomfortable! That must be it, because he couldn't figure out any other reason. Finally, it came to the part just before the end of wedding ceremony.

"…any impediment why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, let him speak now or hold peace forever," the reverend spoke gravely.

_Yes, yes, yes. What is he waiting for?_ Chiaki thought impatiently. He can't possible imagine that there'd _be_ any impediments, really?

"Well, then I now pronounce…" just when he thought he was finally beyond the reach of the unknown disaster he'd been anticipating, someone – a female – burst into the wedding hall and screamed: "STOP!"

Everyone's eyes turned to the voice at once.

Oh, my God! It happened! The world's worst disaster really _did_ descend upon him.

"I declare an existence of impediment!" the disaster shouted loudly while everyone stared blankly in shock.

"My God!" Chiaki screamed in answer. "Nodame! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"I declare an existence of impediment," she repeated. "Senpai cannot marry this woman! You already have a family to be responsible for!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about him!" she retorted and pulled her right hand forward, with a bundle in tow. "Your son!"

Oh, no. No, no, no! No way!!

"He can't possibly be my son, you idiot!"

"Why not, senpai?!" Nodame turned around and whimpered. "You wretched men, you are all the same. You do whatever pleases you and always dump the responsibilities on us, women…"

Now the eyes of the guests were all on him, frowning. This was getting ridiculous.

"He can't be my son because that's a mongoose!" Chiaki shouted at the top of his voice.

"Are you now calling your own son a mongoose?" she was wailing. "You are a cruel, _cruel_ man!"

"You are out of your mind!"

His intended finally spoke in low voice.

"Shinichi, is that true…?"

"Sylvia, no!" Shinichi choked on his words.

"I am disappointed in you, Shinichi. I didn't think you were capable of such a mean trick!"

"No, Sylvia, listen," he desperately tried to placate her, but all was in vain.

"I don't know which is worse; your despicable cheating or refusal to take responsibility."

Sylvia dropped her white margaret bouquet and slowly walked away.

"Sylvia, look! That's a mongoose; a mongoose! Not a human!"

"Farewell, Shinichi…"

As he stood watching Sylvia's disappearing form, someone grabbed his arm.

"_Ja_, senpai," it was that woman, Nodame. "I won't let you go now… Come with me…"

"Whoa! Let go of me, you _hentai_ woman!"

"You can't run away… senpai… we'll be together for eternity…"

"No, leave me alone!"

"Senpai, here…"

Laughing evilly, Nodame thrust the baby mongoose into his arm.

"ARGH!"

With a great start, Chiaki finally woke up from his worst nightmare.

_Shit, was that a dream?!_ He cried to himself and sat up, still panting very heavily. He swore and buried his face in his hands. What was that all about?! He must have been too stressed and nervous lately! Nothing else could explain why he should dream anything like this.

"Shin, what's the matter?" the figure who's been sleeping next to him stirred.

"It's nothing, just a nightmare," he assured her, as well as himself. "Just a nightmare…"

"Oh, you poor boy," she caught Shinichi's hand and pulled him down to bed. "Go to sleep, baby. It's still very early."

"Ah… I'm sorry, Sylvia…" he nearly whispered to himself. The blond beauty only smiled and was asleep within seconds.

_Why Nodame, after all these years…? _He wondered._ I thought I was over her already…_

After the dream – nightmare! – sleep did not come easy to the master conductor Chiaki Shinichi. He only wished the dream would not come true in two months' time, when his _real_ wedding was to be.

* * *

Hate me already? ;) It's still too early, let me assure you... Read on, please!

* * *


	2. Chapter 1

_An intense love, _

_A veritable tornado sweeping across the plains,_

_Flattening everything in its path,_

_Toss things up in the air,_

_Ripping them to shreds, _

_Crushing them to bits._

-_**Sputnik Sweetheart**_, Murakami Haruki

* * *

**Chapter 1**

"_Ohayou_!"

Noda Megumi shouted lively as she entered the teachers' lounge in the Dreamland Children's House.

"Ah, Nodame-chan, you came!"

"_Ohayou_, Sakura-chan! _Ohayou_, Midori-chan! _Ohayou_, Hato-chan!"

Overflowing with energy, Nodame greeted each of the kindergarten teachers brightly.

"Nodame-chan," Sakura laughed. "How can you be so energetic early in the morning?"

"Exactly!" Hato agreed. "But when we hear Nodame-chan's voice it makes us feel energetic too, right?"

"Of course, of course!" Nodame nodded vigorously. "This is a new morning! Children will be here in any moment! We must be lively to make them happy!"

"I don't really understand her logic, but whatever! It's good to have her with us! Even if it's only once a week," said Midori.

"_Arigato_, Midori-chan," Nodame beamed at her.

When four of them were together, they all looked about the same age: rather, people were easily deceived into thinking that Nodame was the youngest among them. The truth was, Nodame was not only the oldest, but at least 8 years older than everyone. But she did not look it at all. Nobody believed her when she told them that she was already over thirty, for her behaviour and speech were still childish, and her face was very youngish. In fact, she hadn't changed at all from 8 years ago, when she abruptly quit her study in Paris and returned to Japan.

That was all the three kindergarten teachers knew. Nodame was learning piano in Paris, at a music school but before she could complete her study, she had to come back. They did not think it necessary to pry further, nor were they interested at all. It must have been something boring like, she couldn't catch up or the family couldn't afford to support her anymore. It was not an uncommon story. Besides, they couldn't imagine even in their wildest dreams, that Nodame's talent in piano was anything above the average. But then again, these girls working in a countryside kindergarten had nothing to do with classical music.

"Ok," Nodame got up and punched the air with her fists. "Let's give our best today, too!"

Watching her clumsily hopping out of the lounge, they smiled among themselves. They knew Nodame to be featherbrained and light-hearted. The typical image of a highly accomplished and graceful pianist in a flowing black dress, bowing to the audience on stage, did not match her in the least!

At about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when all the kids had gone home, the telephone rang in the office and Midori rushed to answer it.

"_Hai_, _moshi moshi_."

"Ah,_ ano_, may I speak to Noda Megumi-chan please?" it was voice of a man.

"You mean Nodame? Hold on a second."

Covering the receiver with her hand, Midori squealed to the other girls.

"It's a man!"

"A man!"

"A man! Looking for Nodame-chan!"

Nodame providentially decided to enter the office just at that moment and was immediately seized by Hato.

"Nodame-chan! There's a phone call for you!"

"It's a man!"

"_Ah_?" Nodame looked puzzled.

"Yes, a man!" Midori hurriedly put the phone in her hand. "Here."

Wondering if it was Mine-kun, Nodame shrugged and took the phone nonchalantly under the close scrutiny of three girls, eager for gossip.

"_Moshi moshi_, Nodame speaking."

"Allo, Nodame? C'est moi, Tanya!"

That made Nodame scream in shock and pleasure.

"Mukya, Tanya! Ça fait vraiment très long temps! Tout va bien? Tu est oú maintenant?"

Nodame easily broke into fluent French and the girls were never more shocked: she could actually speak French? Feeling extremely intimidated, they quietly withdrew, leaving Nodame to happily chatter away with her old friend.

"I'm in Paris now," Tanya replied. "How's it going, Nodame? I just wanted to talk to you so much today that I asked Yasu to call Japan for me!"

"Gyabo, is Kuroki-kun with you now? Please, say hello for me!"

"Ya, sure."

Nodame could hear Tanya's smile from her voice.

"Mukya, it really has been a long time, Tanya."

"I know! Last time I called was to tell you of my marriage so it must be about three years ago!"

"Wow, you're right… has it been three years already?"

"Oui, ma fille! And it's been eight years since we talked face to face! Why don't you call me at all?" Tanya asked accusingly. Nodame smiled to herself.

"I'm so sorry, Tanya. But I was… you know."

"No, I don't know!" she snapped. "But I'll forgive you for all the past sins because I heard that you are finally coming to Paris!"

"Ah, the news does travel fast, doesn't it?"

Tanya laughed heartily on the other side of the line.

"You goose!" she said. "Yasu just heard about it from a friend in Japan and he told me! Nodame, I really can't wait to see you again!"

Considerably touched by Tanya's obvious enthusiasm, Nodame sighed with tears in her eyes.

"Moi aussi. I can't wait to see you again…"

"Nodame… So how are things with you?"

"Nodame is very well, thank you! What about you, Tanya? Are you getting along with Kuroki-kun?"

"Of course! Why should it be otherwise? I am the most faithful and devoted wife he could ever wish for!"

Nodame heard Tanya laughing and also caught the voice of Kuroki saying '_don't say such embarrassing things!_' from the background.

How nice, to be married…

"So…" Tanya began hesitantly. "Are you coming alone to Paris?"

"Huh? Didn't Kuroki-kun also tell you that I'm accompanying the amateur choir for the international amateur choir competition?"

"No, I mean… Is your boyfriend also coming with you?"

"_Haa_? Nodame's boyfriend?" she asked bewildered and at the same time heard Kuroki nearly shouting ('_Tanya!'_).

"Yes, that Takumi or whatever his name was."

"Oh, _him_!" Nodame chuckled. "No, he's not coming with me."

"Hmm, ok. So…" she paused for a while before continuing: "you are still playing the piano?" Tanya asked cautiously. Kuroki also seemed to be holding his breath this time. Nodame smiled and spoke gently.

"Tanya… if I don't play the piano, how can I survive?"

"Yes, yes. I know," Tanya replied dismissively, but failed to hide her sob.

"Tanya…"

"Bon, so when are you arriving?" she interrupted brusquely.

"Well, the competition is in a week's time so we are leaving the day after tomorrow."

"Ah, so soon…!"

"_Hai_, then when the competition is over, Nodame is thinking to stay behind in Paris for about a month. You know, catch up with old friends and have a rest… I should go and say hello to Auclair sensei too…"

"I'm sure he'll be glad to see you again!" said Tanya, even though she felt the exact opposite. Nodame also knew that M. Auclair was very angry with her indeed and only smiled bitterly instead of answering. An awkward silence ensued for a while between them.

"Nodame…"

Tanya finally broke the silence but she fell quiet again right after calling her name.

"Hmm? What is it?" Nodame gently prompted her.

"He's getting married," she said. "Next month."

Nodame didn't say anything for the longest time. Tanya began to worry if she actually fainted from the shock.

"Nodame?" she cried. "Nodame, are you alright?"

"Huh, yes. Of course... Pardon-moi," Nodame mumbled incoherently. "_Who_'s getting married?"

"Oh, don't pretend to not understand!" shouted Tanya. "You know who I mean!"

Nodame heard Kuroki saying something again (_'Tanya, give me that!'_) and soon found herself speaking to her other dear friend.

"Megumi-chan, it's me. Kuroki."

"Kuroki-kun!" she said gladly, but could not find any words to continue. Her mind was in one big jumble.

"I'm so sorry Tanya just blurted it out like that."

"Erm, no… Really, it's ok," she said. "So. He's getting married…"

Another silence followed their short exchange and Nodame rubbed her wrist unconsciously. Neither of them knew what to say. Kuroki nearly wrung his hands at the thought of pain Megumi-chan must be feeling now. He'd always seen them together, even in Japan or in Paris. Then, there had been no space in her heart to spare for anyone else but _him_. Kuroki himself had long given up on Megumi-chan because he understood the love and blind devotion she'd held for another. So why was it that they ended up living separate lives at different ends of the world like two strangers?! _I thought they complemented each other so perfectly, in life and in music!_ He thought angrily.

"Megumi-chan, I'm so sorry," he said aloud.

"Ah, _yada_, Kuroki-kun. Why are you apologising to _me_? Have you forgotten? It was me who dumped him!"

"I don't know the details of what went on between the two of you," Kuroki continued boldly. "But I still believe there must have been some misunderstanding."

"Absolutely not!" replied Nodame rather cheerfully. "Nothing could have been clearer! I had my doubts about our relationship; it was so hard for me to be with him; I, er, found someone else I'd rather spend my time with. So we broke up. What is there to misunderstand in that?!"

"But Megumi-chan!"

Kuroki's desperate cry was firmly interrupted by Nodame.

"Now, don't go on talking about this boring ancient stuff," she said. "But tell me, is she Japanese?"

"No…" he replied reluctantly. "A British."

"Eh… British… From his _oke_?"

"No, she has nothing to do with music!" Kuroki's answer was rather heated. "Only her father seems to be one of his biggest patrons for the orchestra."

"So… she's rich."

"Probably," he now sounded utterly disgusted. Nodame sighed silently.

"Kuroki-kun," she said. "I really did leave him on my own account, so please don't be so hard on him."

"Megumi-chan, I–,"

"I know," Nodame interpolated. "You are kind, Kuroki-kun. But he is also to be pitied, you know. After putting up with someone like me for five years, I suddenly declare that I want to break up with him! Poor senpai was so shocked that he couldn't even say anything!"

"And he did nothing to stop you from leaving," he said darkly.

"Let me assure you, there was nothing he could have done to stop me!"

Although Kuroki was still suspicious about the exact nature of things leading up to the estrangement 8 years ago, he let it pass in order to not distress Megumi-chan any further.

"So," she continued. "I will really see you in a few days time! Isn't it exciting?"

"Yes, Tanya and I are really looking forward to seeing you again. I'm sure everyone misses you dearly. Frank too, and Lucas also!"

"Ah… Frank and Lucas… Sounds so nostalgic," Nodame laughed softly. "Right then, see you soon!"

"Take care, Megumi-chan."

Nodame put down the phone slowly.

He's getting married…

_Chiaki senpai. _

Her heart seemed to stop beating just from calling his name. She gasped. Suddenly her legs gave away and she collapsed heavily.

When Midori came into the office, she found Nodame squatting on her butt and her body violently shaking all over.

"Nodame-chan! What's the matter?" she exclaimed. Instantly, Nodame's shivering stopped. She turned her head and smiled brightly.

"Ah, it's nothing. I dropped my pen so I was just looking for it under the table."

"Oh, really?" Midori didn't find her answer or action strange. As much as they adored Nodame for her liveliness, the three young teachers thought she was a bit weird and abnormal. Behind her back, they wondered if she was not in fact _retarded_ or something. So they carelessly ignored her frequent oddness in mock-pity and arrogance.

"Nodame-chan, what are you doing from now on? Do you want to hang around with us?"

"Ah, thanks but no. I'm meeting someone today."

"Huh? Who's that?"

Nodame winked at Midori as she got up.

"A date with Takumi!"

"What!? A date!"

Laughing heartily, Nodame left the office in a hurry. She needed to be alone.

* * *

So, what do you think? ;)

* * *


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Wow, I am quite overwhelmed with surprisingly positive reviews! I was really expecting more of 'Shoot Sylvia' and even 'Shoot Kana as well!' rather than 'intrigued'... thanks to everyone who kindly reviewed! And people.. please stop speculating about Takumi! Some of you (you know yourselves...) are so sharp that it's almost scary! ;)

And **ichinanahachi**-chan, it's definitely Kuroki who proposed! o although Tanya is vociferous, fierce and pushy, she's all woman in front of Yasu, you know, and when Kuroki-kun works up his courage, he's the man! -giggle- (Kana has Taming the Shrew stuck in her head...)

As you might have noticed(?) I've cut down my silly ramblings... -sighs- which kinda is hard for me cuz I'm a chatterbox! XD

OK! So! This is what happened 8 years ago... or is it, really?

* * *

_I seem fated to pass through the world without  
colliding with it or moving it - and I'm sure I can't tell you  
whether the fate's good or evil. I don't die - I don't fall in love.  
And if other people die or fall in love they always do it when  
I'm not there. You are quite right: life to me is just a spectacle,  
which - thank God, and thank Italy, and thank you - is now  
more beautiful and heartening than it has ever been before._

-_**Where Angels Fear to Tread, **_E. M. Forster

* * *

**Chapter 2**

A very sad melody of Rachmaninoff's _Vocalise_ filtered through the door of a heartbroken pianist. She had no more tears to shed, thus her piano was crying for her. A thin soprano tune seemed to pierce her heart. In the end, she couldn't play anymore and buried her face in her arms on the keys. As she pressed down, loud discords gonged, reflecting the turmoil that was brewing in her heart.

Nodame blamed herself for being so silly. It has already been 8 years, so of_course_ he'd have fallen in love again. For sure neither of them was getting any younger, so of _course_ he'd want to marry. Of course he'd forgotten all about her!

She sighed heavily. Perhaps her actions 8 years ago were quite rash and ill-timed but Nodame still believed she'd made a right decision then. For him, and also for herself.

Her usual compulsive obsession in piano had reached its peak and she thought she'd go mad in any moment. Chiaki being away on a tour around the country with Roux-Marlet did not help either.

Then it happened. She failed even to be shortlisted for the finals of_Marguerite Long–Jacques Thibaud International Piano Competition_ in Paris, which she had been working on so desperately. That was the last straw for her mental strength, however massive it might have been. She fell into the worst depression no one had ever imagined her capable of. She stopped playing the piano and refused to meet anyone, including Chiaki himself. As a worst piece of luck, Chiaki was offered a resident conductorship in London Symphony Orchestra as well as the appointment of junior assistant to the music director of Royal College of Music. He did not hesitate even for a second before accepting them.

To give him some credit, Chiaki did try his best to persuade Nodame to come with him to London. He couldn't possibly leave her alone in her present state, and he thought it infinitely better that she should be with him while she recuperates at least. He was both angry and anxious that she should be this depressed after one failure. Who did she think she was?! Many times had he also failed and regretted but those were the perfect stepping stone for advancement, if she would only allow herself to learn from the mistakes! There were endless opportunities for her to try, even until she draws her last breath and there was absolutely no reason to give up half way! But his passionate reprimand fell on deaf ears. In her clouded mind, she decided she hated listening to his annoying lecture and immediately ripped up at him: what on earth was she to do in London!? Act the part of good housewife while idly watching her husband rise higher and higher until she couldn't catch up at all?

_If you are worried about that, then get up and get to the piano_, he'd shouted.

He didn't understand. He never understood anything! She'd paced to and fro in the room in frustration.

No, he couldn't and he didn't want to. She could rot herself to death in her little bubble of fantasy and avoid facing the reality for the rest of her life, for all he cared!

She was mad, _very mad_, and slapped his face hard. She felt her wrist throb painfully as Chiaki stared in astonishment.

"I hate you, senpai!" she had said.

Three days later she calmly informed him that she was going back to Japan, with someone. Yes, a man. She'd met him while Chiaki was away on the tour and gotten very close. Takumi's business in Paris was now over and as she preferred to be with Takumi than with _him_, she decided to follow him back to Japan.

"W, what are you saying?" he had asked haltingly. "What about school and...?"

"I'm in love with him, senpai."

"You are lying!"

He clasped his fingers around her wrist and she flinched from the pain. But for once in her life, she could look directly into his eyes before – well – doing exactly what he had accused her of.

"I don't think I love you anymore, Chiaki senpai."

Thus her dream of becoming a professional pianist to perform on stage with Chiaki Shinichi had been crushed, and she returned home faded and with a depression to cure.

"Megumi, come down for dinner!"

Her grandmother called from downstairs. She had no appetite, but no. She had to act normal if she was to not make them worry.

When she came back all those years ago, no one had mentioned anything about a 'bad investment' – not even her brother – and her family only concentrated in bringing the healthy bloom back on her cheeks. She looked frighteningly like a wraith! They did not ask why or how; they loved her deeply and were only anxious that they could not share her pain. All thanks to their patience and love, Nodame soon became lively and silly again, but she had also changed somehow. She had grown up. If she still seemed childish, it was more out of her desire to remain a child, rather than the actual childishness.

Nodame quietly scolded herself for being overly emotional today and went downstairs to have her dinner. It had been a day of great shock: naturally she was in dire need of nutritious intake.

"Are you all set for the trip, Megumi?" her father asked.

"Um, all set," she replied with her mouth full.

"Don't forget to take your passport and your ticket!"

"Papa!" she rolled her eyes. "I'm not that clumsy!"

"Yes you are!" her brother interjected ruthlessly. "You really are someone who'd jump into the war even without a gun!"

"Luckily I have no intention of joining the army," she retorted cynically.

"Megumi, don't forget your credit cards either!"

"Yes, I know, I know."

"Are you sure you'll be alright? Shall Mama come with you to Paris?"

"What are you talking about, Yoko-san! Why shouldn't I be fine?"

Nodame looked around the table and realised that they were all looking at her with concern in their eyes. Were they worried that Paris will bring back bad memories and retrigger her depression?! She forced out a smile.

"I'll be fine," she told them firmly. "I'm not a kid. It's been 8 years anyways! It doesn't hurt me anymore, please don't worry."

"If you say so…" said her father.

"Just let her go," her grandfather added. "She must be feeling quite confined in Fukuoka after living in Tokyo and Paris. It'll be a good change of scene."

They fell silent in agreement and stopped worrying.

* * *

On the day of departure, Mine kindly came to the airport to see her off. 

"Really, you didn't have to!" Nodame exclaimed.

He had brought a packed lunch for the flight, a tourist's map of central Paris, a few 'How to…' books and the number of Japanese Embassy in case of emergency.

"I have_ lived_ in Paris before, you know!"

"Yeah, right," Mine agreed sarcastically. "But no one ever knows what_ you_'d be up to so just take them!"

"I'll be with the choir people anyways!"

Nodame weakly defended herself. People really should stop thinking of her so helpless or, even worse, as a troublemaker! Not that she was ungrateful for their concern… but she was already thirty-two, for crying out loud!

"That's what you say but I can still imagine a few horrible fates you might land yourself in," he said darkly.

"_Ah, mou!_ No parisien souvenir for Mine-kun!" she told him sullenly but was ignored.

"I called Kuroki and told him that you are going to Paris, so make sure you stay with them."

"Tanya called me already. But Nodame is going to stay in the hotel with the choir people."

"No, you are not. I _know_ for a fact that they've allocated a single room especially for you because you are their pianist. Go and stay with Kuroki and Tanya," Mine insisted.

"But Nodame needs to be there when they want to–"

"I said go to Kuroki's place!" Mine interrupted her harshly. "When you are in Paris, don't even think about being alone anywhere, alright? Try to be in a crowd; mix with others; don't you ever be left alone in any places that you might begin to think, and brood, understood?"

"_Hai_…" she bowed her head to stare at her feet sulkily. Mine regretted his outburst of feelings but on this point, he was adamant.

"Are you sure you will be fine?"

"Nodame will be perfectly fine! What's wrong with everyone? Nodame is not a bébé-chan anymore!"

"_Baka_," Mine flicked his finger on her forehead. "We are all worried about you! Recall the state you were in 8 years ago before you get angry at us!"

Nodame rubbed her forehead with a pout. He hadn't been gentle with the flick at all!

"_Hai, hai… sumimasen deshita_," she grudgingly apologised. "But still no souvenir for Mine-kun."

"Whoa, is that all I get for my shining friendship? You miser!"

"A penny for your _shining_ friendship!" she finally laughed as she watched Mine stamping his foot in mock fury. "Nodame _is_ a miser!"

"But you earn at least 3 times more than me!"

"That's because you practically earn nothing," she retorted. "You still leech off Papa-Mine!"

"I'm his son! I have every right to leech off him, if that's what you_ would_ call it, and I don't just–"

"Nodame-chan, it's time! We are boarding now!"

The members of the choir called out and interrupted Mine's impassioned self-defence. Nodame smiled brightly at him for the last time and said with a salute: "_Sore ja_, _itekimasu!_"

"Nodame, if…"

"Huh…?_Nani?_"

"Ah, nothing. Don't mind me. Take care, alright?"

"Sure, thanks!"

Waving her hand frantically, Nodame disappeared into the crowd. Mine watched her small back and hoped that she wouldn't have to meet Chiaki in Europe, by chance nor by design. He had heard of Chiaki's engagement, though he did not mention it to her, and whatever she may have told everyone else, he for one did not believe her feeble lies about having fallen out of love with Chiaki.

"_Kuso_, that girl is such a high-maintenance! How the hell did Chiaki use to manage?!"

Now she was returning to the world she had abandoned 8 long years ago and naturally, he was worried.

* * *

Oh, drama, drama, drama! -puts her hand on her brows and swoons- 

Yay, so next! The scene moves to Paris and the fun begins... ;)


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Advent Chiaki... and Sylvia..! Oh, and the usage of John Donne's poem in this chapter following Lilium's 'Working holiday', was purely coincidental ;)

* * *

_If thou beest born to strange sights,  
Things invisible to see,  
Ride ten thousand days and nights,  
Till age snow white hairs on thee.  
Thou, when thou returnest, wilt tell me  
All strange wonders that befell thee,  
And swear  
No where  
Lives a woman true, and fair._

-_**Song: Go and Catch a Falling Star**_, John Donne

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Chiaki did not want to be in Paris.

The place held too many fond memories, which he'd rather consign them all to hell than remember. Because they were the happy memories of his time with the one girl who used to drive him mad with oddities and passion, he hated them even more. For 8 years he'd refused to talk or even think about Nodame, and as she had given up on the piano, world delivered no news of her as a pianist, or as anybody else really, and he deliberately grew distant from their mutual friends. Noda Megumi had completely disappeared from his life.

His new appointment had been a god-sent then. In London, he could throw himself wholeheartedly in work, start a new life and meet new people to help him forget Nodame. It had always been very difficult to understand the way her brain functioned, but her behaviours in the last few weeks of their relationship was still an unsolved mystery. Her loss at the competition also came as a surprise to him, because he did believe Nodame was definitely up to world class competitions by then. But although he understood why she should have been a little depressed, Chiaki still had not the foggiest idea why she gave up the piano entirely or why she'd left him with a slap in the face. Oh, no. Scrap that. At least, he knew the answer to the last part of the mystery. There had been another guy. My God, _another guy!_ Someone she met when he was absent. It was almost enough to eclipse the other half of Nodame's sin, giving up the piano!

Chiaki was not of demonstrative nature innately – both he and Nodame knew it well. On top of that, he often felt quite passive, even uncharacteristically shy around her, which she probably had no idea. Her _hentai_-like nature and outlandish behaviours infuriated him, her pushy displays of affection threw him into blushes and confusion. But against all the odds, through much trial and soul-searching, after getting over many agonising denials, Chiaki _did_ believe that their relationship had matured into another level. And theirs was not something that sparked instantly overnight. It was built from scratch – from annoyance and daily rejection – following the slow stages of concern, camaraderie, begrudging acceptance, unbelievable longing and finally, love. Whatever the onlookers may have chosen to think, he had loved her in his own way. Loved her so _dearly_ and...!

Not that it matter a thing now, though.

One day, after many nights of alcohol induced sleep, he'd woken up feeling absolutely miserable and sick. But the excruciating headache from the hangover was still nothing compared to the pains that seemed to have nestled quite permanently in his heart. Then Chiaki realised with a shock that he was utterly heartbroken and still pining for Nodame! He could not forgive himself for being such a weakling. In his embittered state of mind, fuelled by his haughty pride, Chiaki set out to block everything and anything that's even remotely related to Nodame from his brain and concentrated mainly on his work. It was the best medicine he could have taken. Gradually, his life came back to the _normality_, to the way it had been before he met Nodame – long before she had turned it upside down.

As he began to be recognised as the most promising young conductor of the time, he met with people from all kinds of class, of whom he'd never have to be ashamed to acknowledge the acquaintance. He rapidly learned to mingle. He was young, handsome and successful; women literally threw themselves at him and Chiaki had dated any number of them, quite casually. He furiously ignored the emptiness those relationships brought in him and did not really care when none of them lasted very long.

Then about two years ago, he met Sylvia at an evening party. Tall and beautiful with a lively personality, Sylvia was easily the _belle_ of the night, who drew everyone's attention to her like a magnet. She was duly introduced to the star conductor as the only daughter and an heiress of one Mr Haworth, the most generous of sponsors for his orchestra. Even Chiaki was not impervious to her charms. Such beauty, impeccable family background, social position, all combined in one girl! She was a perfect example of the ideal woman people tended to imagine as Chiaki's partner in every aspect. The fact that she was more than ten years younger than him sort of added the usual glamour and pride to his ego, and having sustained the relationship for two years, he silently agreed to the wedding arrangements her father had come up with. It was a connection he could be proud of and he did dote on Sylvia.

And unfortunately, that was the reason why he was in Paris now.

It was the time of New Year's sale and hence inevitable that Miss Haworth should make the weekend shopping trip to the city of love and fashion and La Fayette and Printemps!

"Can't you go alone?"

Chiaki had frowned upon her when Sylvia asked him to accompany her to Paris.

"Then who's to carry all my shopping bags!"

"Oh, I don't know. If that's all you need me for, why don't you ask one of those puppies still dangling after you instead?"

"Darling! Are you jealous?" she asked teasingly.

Even after the announcement of their engagement, there were several guys who still tried to fix their interest with her: she was worth millions of pounds after all! But Chiaki had really spoken out of amusement rather than jealousy.

"Besides, you promised we could spend this weekend together!" she pleaded with a sulky face of a child who'd been denied the biggest treat of her life. "You are so busy nowadays, I hardly ever see you!"

"Yes, I know, but does it have to be in Paris?"

"You don't like Paris?" Sylvia asked in amazement.

"Well, not really…" he answered and avoided looking at her. However, she was nothing if not persistent.

"But I_ wanna_ go to Paris with you! Why don't you like Paris?!"

There was no way he could tell her the truth.

"If you can't tell me the reason, I'll just believe that you don't want to be with me!"

"Don't be silly, sweetheart, of course you are wrong."

"Then come to Paris with me!" she added petulantly.

Chiaki sighed heavily but let her have her way.

How ill-judged his choice had been then! He deeply regretted coming to Paris, where mere sights of street lamps or outdoor cafés stirred up Nodame in him. She was supposed to be completely forgotten! He put all the blamed on that crazy dream he had a few days ago. It was just like her to invade and mess up his mind again after all these years!

"Shin, my darling! You are lagging behind, come on!"

Sylvia waved at him. Watching her young and hyperactive form nearly flying among the shops, clothes and jewelries suddenly made him feel so old and tired. _Why did girls have to shop so much?!_ He recalled with a shudder, the times when he had to escort Rui for _her_ shopping, and she wasn't half as bad as Sylvia! He told himself with a relief that at least Nodame never asked him… and nearly bit his tongue off. _Bloody hell, stop thinking about her!_ he swore. It really was a very bad idea after all to come to Paris! Not that he still cared or pined for her. _Really._ It was just that remembering Nodame brought on too many happy and wretched memories, and jabbed at his old wound. He thought it'd already been fully healed but obviously he was quite wrong.

Chiaki debated long and hard in his heart before he finally decided to pay a visit to Anna, his old caretaker at the apartment where he had lived. To return to the place where it was filled with the memories of him and Nodame would have been a living torture. That's where he started his _real_ career, together with her. He'd kissed her for the first time there, albeit with the disastrous result. He used to cook dinner for her and they'd spend the evenings together playing the piano or listening to the records. Although he ended up moving out of the place, the apartment still held a soft spot in his heart as a starting point of everything.

Well, it was also true that Anna deserved a visit – he hadn't kept in touch at all since he left Paris – but really, he was just curious to see the old place again. Boy, did he learn so implicitly at first hand, that curiosity _does_ kill the cat!

"Shinichi! O mon dieu!"

Anna cried out when she opened the door. Chiaki thought her voice conveyed a doom rather than a pleasant surprise and wondered if he'd come at a bad time.

"Anna, it really has been ages since I last saw you! How are you doing?" he greeted her amiably. "I found myself in Paris this weekend unexpectedly, so I came to say hi. Hope everything is well with you?"

"Yes, of course, perfectly well, I mean…"

She seemed very flustered. Some noise - clutters of cutleries, a loud thump of some sort and clashing of plates! - was heard from the kitchen and Chiaki realised he was intruding.

"Ah, I am probably disturbing you coming so suddenly like this! Maybe I should return another time."

"Shinichi, that is… well–"

Then she was interrupted by an overly cheerful female voice, coming out of the kitchen – with a dramatic effect.

"Look what I found, Anna-san! Can we open this to celebrate 'the reunion'?"

It was a voice he also knew only too well. The voice, which began re-haunting his thoughts and dreams lately, of a girl he'd once been ready to slave his life away against all his senses and character! It was _her_ voice…!

Chiaki stood riveted to the spot as he stared at the vision of Nodame coming out of the kitchen, holding a bottle of wine in her hands, with that usual bright smile. He had never allowed himself the leisure of wondering what it'd be like to meet Nodame again, because, for one, he did not want to meet her _ever_ again - such sentimental emotions had no place in his heart anymore! - so he had no idea how he should be reacting just at that moment. He thought having a concussion from a smack on his head by metal pipe might feel like this: his mind drew a total blank and his body refused to move! She had not changed at all: the usual messy chestnut brown hair, her sloppy but nonetheless adorable way of dressing, and that funny drawl in her voice! Chiaki nearly reeled from the sudden turbulent emotions that started to roar within.

Then she saw him too.

A petrified shock replaced her smile and the bottle of wine went rolling on the floor. Anna stared at the old sweethearts, who were quite lost in their own sweet world, her eyes darting from one to the other, wringing her hands in uneasiness. She was, therefore, quite glad of the diversion when a pretty blond girl followed Shinichi into the house.

"So this is where Shin used to live? Quite cozy, eh?" said Sylvia.

The spell was broken and a look of total horror slowly dawned on Chiaki's face.

He had completely forgotten about _her!_ Damn it, this put him in an awkward position indeed!

Chiaki forced himself to tear his glances away from Nodame and sharply turned to his fiancée.

"Sylvia," he spoke in a harsh voice without meaning to. "Can you wait for me outside please? We are leaving soon."

"Oh, but don't leave on my account!"

Nodame exclaimed in lispy but clear English. For past 8 years, Chiaki had tried so hard to erase her from his mind that hearing her voice again, reaffirming her very existence, was like a surreal dream to him. He shook in his shoes like a lost lamb.

"I am Nodame. Nice to meet you."

Nodame advanced and made to shake hands with Sylvia. Without a care in the world, Sylvia took Nodame's hand pleasantly and introduced herself too. Then Chiaki thought he'd gladly throw the lot of them into the River Seine for, one: putting him through such a trial after having brought him to Paris against his will, and two: being able to smile like that after all that's happened between them! Blast it, was he the only one to be disturbed by this meeting here? His nerves were on tiptoes lest Nodame figures out the true nature of his relationship with Sylvia. But you had to trust Nodame to shock you even further.

"You must be Chiaki senpai's fiancée!"

Oh bugger, she knew it already?! How the hell did she–

"Congratulations, senpai."

Nodame now turned and extended her hand to him with the brightest of smiles. Chiaki gasped. His heart, which had already gone berserk some time ago, contracted painfully and he couldn't breathe anymore. He opened his mouth but nothing came out.

"What is it you are calling him? Sen… what?" Sylvia interrupted.

"Oh, it means 'senior' in Japanese. Because Shinichi-kun was my senior in school in Japan."

Chiaki's indignity only increased as he listened to Nodame's _quite_ helpful explanation. A _senior_ in school, my foot!

"Oh, I see! So you guys are old friends from the same school!" said Sylvia. "Wow, but that will make you as old as Shin! I'd thought you must be about my age!"

"Oh?" Nodame looked curious. "How old are you?"

"Twenty-two," Sylvia chirped proudly.

Slight consternation flickered on Nodame's face and Chiaki wished the ground would open up and swallow him.

"You are very young," she replied warily.

"Not at all! Last time I went clubbing, I had to come away at 4 in the morning cuz I was absolutely knackered! Would you believe it? I was never so mortified when I had to tell my friends that I was leaving! And I was used to party the whole night when I was younger, you know!"

Nodame threw Chiaki some amused looks. Did it hold contempt? Disappointment?_Mocking, perhaps?_ He'd never had any cause to think Sylvia an _embarrassment_ to him before, and he couldn't imagine why she should be now, for she was behaving just as she always did in London! But Chiaki groaned under the speaking gaze of his _ex_-girlfriend and was about to drag him and Sylvia out of the house before his pride and dignities were in shreds, but Sylvia spoke up again.

"But what am I rattling on about! You guys must have so much to catch up! Why don't we all go out for dinner together?"

He couldn't decide whether he was glad or resentful of Sylvia's invitation on his behalf. A part of him was in agony over his desire to talk to Nodame – to _earnestly_ talk to her – but he also fully understood how disastrous such an outing would turn out to be. Especially with Nodame, who was so unpredictable and weird! In the end, the resentfulness won over and he said, "No."

But at the same time Nodame, the annoying pixie that she was, good-humouredly accepted Sylvia's invitation.

"That is a good idea!"

Sylvia turned to him with a puzzled look and Nodame's eyes took on a mischievous glee.

"Don't be so disagreeable, Shin! That's so not like you. Come on, let's go, Nodame."

Sylvia took Nodame's arm and firmly led her out of the house. Nodame threw a last glance at Chiaki over her shoulders, when he clearly heard a suppressed giggle from her. _Yes, just keep giggling at the situation, will you?!_ Shinichi thought angrily. All those years they spent separated from each other seemed to melt away, as the usual irritation and wish to choke the life out of her filled his heart. That Nodame never changes!

"Shinichi… are you ok?"

Anna's worried voice brought him out of abstraction.

"Anna," he said. "I'm sorry about today. What a commotion we've caused you!"

"Nodame will be in Paris for a month," Anna knowingly volunteered the information. "She's staying with the Kurokis for now but I think she wants to move out to a cheap hotel or something."

Chiaki smiled bitterly at the influx of unwanted – _oh,_ _quite unwanted_ – details. Making a mental note to pay a long due visit to his old friend and an ex-member of Roux-Marlet orchestra, he said his goodbye to Anna and followed his fiancée _and_ his ex-girlfriend out of the house.

* * *

I'm not making this very angsty, am I? XD by the way, to me _casual_ dating is just occasional dinners and light stuff like that, I didn't mean Chiaki was _casually_ sleeping around or any such thing! thanks a lot for all the reviews and inputs. they are greatly appreciated and I love you! ;) 


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

As soon as the three of them were out on the main street, young Sylvia walked ahead of Chiaki and Nodame, quite bossily, hailing a cab. When they'd all gotten in after her, Sylvia gave directions to the driver in her posh London accent and earned them a hostile glare from the French man. He'd have refused to drive away for minutes, obstinately shaking his head, saying '_Je comprends pas_', had Nodame not intervened with a very pretty _s'il-vous-plai_t and repeated the directions again in French. Only then, he accorded them a grumpy '_Et bien_' and moved his car.

"Weird," said Sylvia, sitting back and crossing her leg. "How can he not understand English? Everyone speaks English!"

To Nodame, it was nothing out of ordinary. French people were fiercely proud of their language – and their nation – and did not welcome English speakers with open hearts, more often than not. The surprising thing, however, was that throughout the entire incident, Chiaki senpai had just kept quiet and merely followed Sylvia's lead without interfering once! Certainly, he was never the insufferable domineering kind of man – well, maybe except when he was _really_ pissed off – but he was a natural leader and always had to be in charge. At least, that's how Nodame remembered him. Either he's changed a lot over the years or he loved and trusted Sylvia enough to let her handle the rein. She couldn't decide whether she was more amused by this new side of him or devastated by the revelation, and missed out completely on the vague absent-mindedness of senpai in her own confusion.

Then, why has she agreed to tag along as a most uncomfortable third of the party, when she was certain of the pain and heartbreak she'd go through? Well, call it a 'woman's curiosity'. Nodame was also a woman. She wanted to know what kind of girl Sylvia was, although she could already guess from her outlook, more or less. Of course, she was the last person on this earth to even imagine that she had any rights to pass a judgement on Chiaki senpai's fiancée, but she still needed to know. Whether your break-up was a reluctant heart-wrenching parting or a result of mutual agreement with all the good wills on both sides, you've got to be curious about the _new person_ who has replaced you in your ex-partner's heart.

Chiaki, on the other hand, was utterly disgusted with this sham of a _friendly dinner_. Even before he had realised where he was going, or in fact what he was doing, Chiaki had found himself seated at a table in a very smart French restaurant. There sat in front him, the two females he'd have avoided bringing together in one place at all cost, had it been entirely up to him. Looking at them, one expensively dressed and confident in her ability to charm, and the other still quite clumsy and careless about her appearance, he thought there'd never be two more different girls who share nothing in common, apart from in connection to him. But they were now chatting so agreeably as if they'd been friends for a long time! Girls were strange species indeed…

The conversation was a bit slow, for Nodame's English was not as fluent as her French, but that did not stop her from being the main speaker of the evening. She was busy telling Sylvia about their 'school days'.

"So, he swore very badly at his professor and got kicked out of the elite class."

Sylvia burst out laughing merrily.

"My dear Shin did that? I can't imagine! So even _you_ had adolescent's rebellious periods, Shin!"

Her dear Shin only grunted and gulped down his wine. He was sprawled on his chair in a very disrespectful manner and didn't vouchsafe a word in rejoinder to Nodame's frivolous chatter. Once he opened his mouth, he was sure to enter into swordplay with her, and assaulting her verbally – and physically even, who knows – being all friendly, was the last thing he wanted to do.

"Then he had to work so hard to be accepted as a disciple by the maestro, Milch, so that he can study conducting," Nodame paused for a breath and then hurriedly corrected herself. "No, I mean Stresseman. I keep calling him by the nickname."

"Hmm… really," murmured Sylvia, drawing a blank look at the name.

And of course she would, Chiaki thought. Sylvia had never met his 'most respected' _shishou_. But that didn't matter. Right now, the way Nodame cunningly cut out any involvement she might have had in the incidents that may implicate their history together was irritating him, to say the least! When did she learn to be so clever?

"Is he still very strict with the orchestra people?" Nodame continued relentlessly. "The first time he tried to conduct, he was so scary and mean that the orchestra members nearly boycotted him!"

"What?" Sylvia broke out in peals of laughter.

"And his nickname in Japan was _oni_," she turned her head and broke into French. "_Oni_, qu'est-ce qu'on dit en anglais, le diable…"

"Diable…! You mean a devil!"

"Ah, yes," she smiled. "Senpai was a devil."

Sylvia laughed again and Chiaki kept drinking glass after glasses of wine with a scary scowl on his face.

"That is so funny!" said Sylvia. "I have heard some telltales about Shin being an exacting boss but I didn't know how bad until now! Nodame, you must tell me all about his dirty past!"

"Eh…? Didn't know…" Nodame mused in wonder. "But have you never watched his rehearsal before?"

"Watch his rehearsal!" Sylvia exclaimed in outrage. "Whatever for? Going to his actual concert is a torture enough for me! You see," she announced rather smugly. "I am not very fond of classical music."

Nodame was shell-shocked!

"But… you are marrying a conductor!"

"Yes, isn't it so funny? My friends all thought I've run mad to marry a person with such a _dull_ profession! But of course, when they saw how very handsome and sexy Shin is, they were all dying of envy!"

For a moment, Nodame didn't know how to respond to this. Chiaki senpai, the most ardent lover of music, whose every essence of life was dependent on it, was marrying this chit of a girl who found his music a torture…! Oh, how _dare_ she call it a torture! Her face became distorted as she tried hard to control her contempt and anger from showing. Chiaki, who was still very much attuned to her facial expressions, understood exactly what she wanted to say and ordered another bottle of wine to fortify him for the rest of the evening.

She recovered quite speedily, however, and turned to Sylvia with a weak smile.

"Well, all to their own taste," she said.

"Yes," replied Sylvia pleasantly. She had no idea what was going on. "I'm not really into classics. But I must say that your dish looks amazing, Nodame. What did you order?"

"Oh, it's grilled veal in mushroom and cream sauce, isn't it?" Nodame sounded very knowledgeable. "You are right, it's very good, but senpai's cooking is a lot better. This is much too cheesy."

Now, it was Sylvia's turn to look bereft of any expression.

"Shin can cook?"

"Can cook!" Nodame exclaimed enthusiastically. "He's the best cook in the whole world!"

"I don't know. He never cooked for me."

"Never?"

"Not even once."

Sylvia answered dryly and took a dainty forkful of her _Pâté de foie gras_ in a strained calmness. She did not understand what it signified, but her subconscious vaguely registered that her Shin going as far as to even cook for Nodame was a proof of surprising intimacy between the two. Seemingly aloof, there were times when Sylvia felt her fiancé was too reserved and private; he rarely even invited her to his flat and became really irritated if she went to see him without a warning. She had believed that's how he is always and never really cared about it until now. But it seemed very unjust that his old schoolmate should know of his cooking skills when his own fiancée does not, after their two years' relationship!

Chiaki, who was being much tried tonight, only drained his wine like a bottomless pit in an uncomfortable silence.

Fortunately, the waiter arrived with a new dish and caused a much needed diversion.

"_Voici les clams au beurre á l'escargot, mesdames et m'sieur._"

Chiaki choked on his wine and coughed violently. Nodame had spluttered bits and pieces of food onto her plate at the same time.

"Eurgh, what are you guys doing?" scolded Sylvia in disgust.

"Did you order this?" Chiaki turned to Nodame sharply, and spoke directly to her for the first time since their meeting again. _Was this some kind of joke?_

"No, I didn't!" Nodame responded in equal heat. _Of course not!_

"Then what's this doing here?! Who ordered it?"

"Well, I did!" interjected Sylvia.

"What? Why?!"

"Huh?" she was puzzled. "Because I wanted to eat escargot. What's wrong?"

Apparently, only Nodame saw the funny side of this little episode and bowed her head to hide her bubbling giggles. Chiaki scowled at her. So she can laugh at it now? She wasn't so forgiving that night, when she felt very homesick, and audaciously accused him of being disgusting and a drunkard! He had carried her to the hotel room where she practically passed out after throwing up her entire dinner. That night, unbeknownst to her, he sat next to her on the bed and had caressed her cheek for a…_ Ah, need more wine!_ He found that the bottle was already empty and ordered a third one in dismay.

"Shin! You are hogging the wine to yourself! Pour me some too!" exclaimed Sylvia.

Chiaki complied with her readily and then took a quick swig himself.

"And _you_ are not drinking at all, Nodame! Here, let's cheers!"

Nodame also raised the glass to her lips but was immediately stopped by Chiaki's hand before she could drink from it.

"Enough," he spoke sternly in Japanese. It seemed like nothing but unpleasantness would leave his mouth, as he'd guessed. "You've had too much already."

"I've only had half a glass!" she retorted in her native language as well.

"You can't even hold your alcohol! Don't drink so much!" Chiaki told her aggressively.

"But Nodame wants to drink wine! _Mou_, stop treating me like a four year-old!" she replied in frustration.

"Well, you are definitely acting like one now!" the words poured out of his mouth before he could even stop to think over them. "I'm just telling you to not drink anymore, all for your sake. Can't you get it through that thick skull of yours?"

"Hey! Speak English!" Sylvia edged in, while Nodame's face went from red to white alternatively.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Sylvia," said Nodame in mock affability. "Senpai is worried because I am a very bad drinker. But you know, he can't even swim!"

"Cannot swim!"

"No, he can't. He's too afraid of water."

"What?!"

Sylvia was almost horrified. To think her Shin might be _afraid_ of something was strange enough, but to be afraid to go into water! Such a childish phobia!

"Did he never tell you? Actually, he can't even–"

"_Enough,_" Chiaki stopped her in a dangerously calm voice.

He was almost shaking with fury. How could she speak about _that_ in such a light manner! He had never told anyone but Nodame, besides his immediate family, about his **_already-cured_** phobias! Did she take him so lightly? Just because she did not care for him anymore, she thought she could make fun of him?

Feeling soundly rebuked by that single word, Nodame was looking down at her laps, rather sheepishly, with a waning smile. It wasn't that she'd meant to tease him, or degrade him. She was just so angry and nervous that she didn't know what to say and just blurted out the first thing that came to her head, to spite him a little, maybe. But she also admitted that she went overboard this time. She fidgeted with her wrist uncomfortably while Sylvia looked from one to the other in mystery.

"Well, nevermind," she said, in an attempt to mend the atmosphere. "Tell me one thing, Nodame. Was Shin popular among the girls in school?"

"Very. He was the most popular guy in Momogaoka."

"Goody good!" Sylvia rubbed her hands. "Tell me some old gossips then! Did he have a girlfriend? Should I get that 'little black book' ready?"

Chiaki groaned and held his breath, waiting for her answer. It was a pure torture; he had to end this dinner as soon as possible!

"Of course he did."

He poured the last bit of wine into his glass and gulped it down.

"So what was she like? Who was she?"

Nodame smiled.

"She was a daughter of a president of a big music company, very beautiful and a very talented opera singer."

Chiaki put down his wine glass violently and startled Sylvia.

"Gosh, what's wrong with you today? You haven't spoken more than two words for the whole night and you keep frowning!"

"Let's go," he said roughly. "I'm tired."

"You are drunk," Sylvia giggled. "I'm sure I never saw you more drunk before!"

Ignoring his betrothed's apparent mirth, Chiaki called for the bill and dumped his credit card on the silver plate.

"Ah, no, senpai! Let me pay for my share!"

He scowled at her and said severely: "Shut up and let me handle it. Since when do you pay for your share?"

"Shin!" exclaimed Sylvia and rapped his arm.

He turned his head away and bit his lower lip hard.

"Don't mind this grumpy old bear," said Sylvia laughingly. "I dragged him to Paris when he didn't want to come so he's still pissed off."

"That's alright. I don't really mind…"

Chiaki's card came back with the receipt and everyone got up to leave the restaurant, Chiaki fastest of all.

"So, Nodame," Sylvia asked when they were outside, waiting for the taxi. "Did you come to Paris with your boyfriend too? You must have one, right?"

"Yes, where is that _asshole_? What was his name again?!"

Chiaki instantly barked, much to Sylvia's surprise and chagrin. Nodame was secretly glad that Tanya had reminded her of Takumi a few days ago, otherwise she wouldn't have remembered the name on top of her head!

"Ah, you mean Takumi… Takumi and I… are not together anymore," she replied and refused to satisfy Sylvia's curious pokings.

Not with him anymore! He seethed. For heaven's sake, she already broke up with him? So what had she broken up with _him_ in the first place for?!

When the first wave of rage and resentment had passed over him, however, Chiaki's state of mind underwent a rapid transformation and his heart felt slightly lighter to know that Nodame was single again. He realised he was looking at her more favourably and cursed himself for being a pathetic _idiot!_

"Let me take you back to Kuroki's house," he offered in a milder tone as an olive branch. "You are staying with them, right?"

"Please, don't trouble yourself! I can just take the subway and it's really close from here anyways."

"But it's already almost 11 o'clock! It's dangerous to take Métro at this hour!"

"Not again!" Nodame rolled her eyes. "I can take care of myself, senpai! I have lived in Paris before!"

"You have? Wow, when?" asked Sylvia.

"Oh, once upon a time, ages ago…" Nodame avoided looking at her.

"Then take a taxi at least," he said feebly. "I'll pay for it."

"Mukya! You are becoming so annoying!" Nodame suddenly blurted out in her old way. "Nodame is going to take the Métro and she will pay for herself!"

_Ah… she said it! Like the old times._ Chiaki never knew a simple sound like that nonsensical 'mukya' would make him want to cry, but it did, and he coughed violently to conceal the sob in his throat.

"_Sore ja, senpai. Sayonara._"

With a little bow, Nodame disappeared into the underground.

* * *

"What a sweet girl she is!" cried Sylvia. They had just entered their hotel room and Sylvia casually threw her coat on the armchair. "She is so funny and… weird!"

He knew he was very drunk and emotionally exhausted. Chiaki had so manfully stopped himself from running after Nodame, with a lot of difficulty, ignoring his urge to assure her that he meant none of the unpleasant things he'd uttered that night, in whatever means it required! His brain was so blur and his insides felt like they were on fire._He_ was on fire. Even in his very disjointed, rather illogical mind Chiaki could only think of one thing straight. Sylvia, who caught on this kind of mood very quickly, rubbed his shoulders in a very suggestive way. Ah, but… Before he could formulate any reason to resist – she was his fiancée after all – Sylvia pulled him to sit on the bed and hugged him. He was on the verge of giving in to his instinct, when she whispered his name in his ears.

"Shin…"

_Oh, shit. _

Chiaki regained his sobriety with the speed of light, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured onto him. He moved away immediately.

"Shin…?"

He ruffled his hair violently with a growl and apologised to Sylvia.

"I'm sorry, I'm drunk."

He wished he could rather knock his head into a brick wall.

"I know that, silly. Why are you being so serious?" Sylvia giggled and added coyly: "Come back here, tough boy."

"I think I'd better sleep on the couch," he said and jumped off the bed, a little too willingly.

"What?!" Sylvia was both incensed and amused at the same time. "Sleep on the couch!"

She fell into fits of laughter.

"Goodnight…" Chiaki replied gloomily and moved to the two-seater sofa.

"Shin!" she cried. "It's ok if you don't wanna do it tonight, just sleep on the bed!"

He didn't answer her as he crouched uncomfortably on the sofa and brooded. In his fuzzy mind, it wasn't Sylvia that his urgent desire had been directed at, but someone else. The voice war wrong. The smell was wrong. The height was wrong... In short, the entire person was wrong! Wondering what maggot's got into his brain, Chiaki fell into an uneasy sleep.

* * *

Ok, I know. You hate me. And you hate Sylvia. Boohoo but I've been in the dumps lately, please be kind in your flames... T.T 


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N**: hmm... the reviews say that you guys dun really hate Sylvia...! That got me thinking... and the truth finally dawned on me... The fact is, **I** don't like her...! XD haha, Sylvia is loosely based on my.. er, very first roommate. It was arrangement made by the school and so I had no other choice, but she was really a roommate from hell...! T.T but it's alright, **Ms R**, I couldn't for a very long time but I've forgiven you already now, since I'm taking a mickey out of you through Sylvia, LOL. Special thanks to **Minear** for her insightful and 'long' review on Sylvia... ;) I think **Lilium** has provided the perfect description of her... a floozie!

Ok, enough rambling...

* * *

_If I'm not in love with you,  
What is this I'm going through, tonight?  
And if my heart is lying then,  
What should I believe in?  
Why do I go crazy?  
Every time I think about you baby,  
Why else do I want you like I do?  
If I'm not in love with you…_

_And if I don't need your touch,  
Why do I miss you so much, tonight,  
If it's just infatuation then,  
Why is my heart aching,  
To hold you forever,  
Give a part of me I thought I'd never  
Give again to someone I could lose,  
If I'm not in love with you...__  
_

_**-If I'm not in love**_, Faith Hill

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Chiaki woke up on the couch with a vicious woodpecker attached to his left temple that was mercilessly pecking away at his head. _Bloody hell!_ He cursed and swore fervently that he'd never touch the wine again, which was of course an empty threat, as always. He stole a quick glance at the bed and saw with a squinted eye that Sylvia was still sleeping soundly. Lord, what wouldn't he give to sleep on a proper bed for another 10 hours at least, unbroken! His back and shoulders were so stiff that when he moved, they creaked loudly. For a fraction of a second, Chiaki was sorely tempted to crawl back into the bed and sleep off his hangover. But there was that slump of a blond who was already occupying the aforesaid place and Chiaki was loath to go anywhere near her just now, much less lie down next to her, until he could sort out the muddle – erstwhile known as his brain – and organise his feelings.

Groaning loudly, he stumbled into the bathroom and splashed his face with some cold water. That was a big mistake: now that he was more awake, he felt his headache with more acute pain! He wondered if he should be the one to test the theory, that the best cure for hangover is a little more of alcohol, and sighed at himself. He was sounding exactly like someone who was well on his way to alcohol addiction.

Straightening his aching back, he stared at the mirror on the wall. There, he saw a thirty-three year-old, widely acclaimed conductor of the prestigious London Symphony Orchestra, now a senior assistant _and_ next in line to the music director of the Royal College of Music, Chiaki Shinichi: with his face pulled down and bags under his red eyes. A ghastly picture indeed. He slapped his cheeks and gave them a rub. Ah. He had wrinkles. _Wrinkles!_ He could see slight creases on his forehead, probably due to the frequent frowning, and some around his mouth as well. Although they did not seriously mar his naturally handsome face – _in his opinion_ – he was nevertheless disconcerted. But Nodame still looked like a young girl of twenty-four, just as he remembered her! Has the angel of time decided to pass over that girl?! Chiaki nervously searched his hair to see if there was any sign of white hair. Much to his relief, he found none.

_What am I doing…?_

Chiaki sighed hopelessly, perhaps for the zillionth time. He was acting like a lovelorn teenage schoolboy, eagerly grooming himself for his first calf love! Come to think of it, Nodame _was_ the very first girl he'd fallen in love with - that is, if he was _very_ honest with himself. For sure, he has had other girlfriends and fancies before her, but she was the first person to have evoked such strong emotions, like possessiveness, desire and love – _sometimes even murderous intentions_ – in him. People say that first love is always hard to forget… and perhaps that's why he was feeling so shaken right now, like his body was involuntarily reacting to the faint reflections of the past. He stared blankly at his image in the mirror for a long time as if he was trying to see something that's not really there.

Last night just happened in a flash, he didn't really know what to make of it. When he thought he had finally buried all about her in the past and was ready to move on with his life, she just _had_ to walk in again, quite casually more to his annoyance, and upset all his plans and calculations. Of course! And as much as he hated to admit it, Chiaki was greatly upset emotionally. He just didn't know what or how to think. In the deepest part of his heart, he was almost too overjoyed to see her again, looking so well and healthy, but on the other hand, he wanted to strangle her for throwing him into the abyss of uncertainty and confusion. When she confessed that she was not with that _girlfriend-stealing_ _bastard _anymore, his heart leaped in a funny way and his heart started racing. It wouldn't have been strange at all, if the thought '_then there's nothing to stop us from getting together again!_' popped up in his mind, automatically. But then again, all this was quite pointless – because he was already engaged to be married!

He groaned loudly. It didn't matter anymore. Their bonds have been severed 8 years ago, when Nodame decided to quit her piano and went back to Japan. It was a relationship that grew out of their mutual passion for music in the first place and without it, there was no root to uphold it. Even if she's broken up with that guy already... Chiaki shook his head violently. No, he didn't want to think about the possibilities. He will be going back to London today and Nodame… well, she could do whatever she wished in Paris and go back to Japan whenever she wished. It was a finished story.

When Chiaki finally left the bathroom, Sylvia was just waking up. She sat on the bed and stretched her arms out.

"Morning," she said.

But, how strong was the root of _this_ relationship? he wondered. Or if there was _any_ at all.

"Morning," he replied, trying to sound as normal as possible. "Our flight is at two this afternoon. We still have a few hours."

Their coming to Paris together was the first time he took the plane with Sylvia, and for about 45 minutes, Chiaki courageously clenched his teeth and pretended he was asleep. Even after all those years, he still couldn't get on the plane with total equanimity! He thanked God that Paris was not so far from London, but definitely did not look forward to the return flight.

"Do you think the shops will be open already?" Sylvia asked. "Oh, no! Today's Sunday, isn't it? They'll open late!"

"You still have more things to buy?" Chiaki cried out in wonder.

"What do you mean _still_? I didn't buy that much yesterday."

The shopping bags and boxes that occupied a large space of the room totally contradicted her statement, but Chiaki did not have enough energy or will to tell her that.

"I wonder if we should delay the departure for a few hours…"

_No, not that!_ Chiaki would rather face the horrors of flying than stay in Paris for any longer, where heaven knows when he might bump into _her!_ He was perfectly ready to put his foot down firmly on this point when Sylvia herself relieved him of the role.

"Ah! I have an appointment for Brazilian waxing later, I mustn't miss it! They put you on the waiting list for at least a month, you know!"

Whatever the Brazilian waxing was, Chiaki was very grateful to it!

"Oh, did you get Nodame's number last night?" she asked suddenly.

"Why do you ask?" Chiaki asked her back in alarm.

"Well, I thought maybe you'd like to have lunch with her today or something, before we go back to London?"

"Why?!" he felt guilty as if he'd been caught on being unfaithful, for no apparent reason.

"Well, it was like a 'class reunion' last night, wasn't it? Besides, you guys seemed to have been quite close…"

"We were_ not_ close!" he lied through the gritted teeth.

"You probably won't get to see her again for a very long time, but if you don't mind…"

Sylvia shrugged gracefully. It didn't matter either way; she did not care. To be honest, there was very little she really cared about in the whole world, apart from herself and her pleasures.

But her reminder had thrown Chiaki to confusion, yet again. What did it matter if he didn't see her again _for the rest of his life_?! Was there really any point in renewing their acquaintance after all these years, especially at this time?! He recoiled at the word 'acquaintance'. How cold and distant it sounded! Can he really see her again without losing his head? One thing was for sure: he hated not having any answers!

"Sylvia," said Chiaki in determination after some thought. "I'm going out to see some old friends in Paris. I'll be back before lunch."

"Then let me come with you too!" cried Sylvia.

"No, go shopping or something. Enjoy yourself," he replied impatiently. "I won't be long."

* * *

Tanya greeted Shinichi with such fervour that he almost felt welcomed. She took him in her arms with great enthusiasm and kissed both his cheeks. 

"Chiaki, you _jerk_, where have you been all these years!?" she exclaimed.

"Good to see you, too," he smiled weakly. "You haven't changed at all."

"Oh-ho, you flatterer!" Tanya smacked his back and laughed in her usual high-pitched voice. "But watch your steps, I'm a married woman now!"

She really was the same ol' Tanya, he chuckled to himself.

"Welcome back to Paris, Chiaki-kun," Kuroki, on the other side, however, seemed slightly distant, without being impolite exactly.

"Kuroki…"

They shook hands and Chiaki continued somewhat uncertainly.

"I, er, heard about your marriage some time ago... I'm sorry I couldn't send my congratulations sooner."

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Tanya replied animatedly. "Cuz you are here now!"

She quickly looked from her husband to Chiaki and laughed nervously.

"Anyways, what brings you to Paris? It must have been what… 8 years?!"

"I also hear that some congratulations are in order," interpolated Kuroki gravely.

"Ah?" Tanya blinked her eyes.

"You are soon to be married."

"Oh, that…" Chiaki looked away, feeling a bit intimidated. Never would he have imagined that Kuroki, who had a long history with him and his orchestras, and hence was used to his own very intimidating demands and orders, could actually intimidate _him_.

"Ah, yes," said Tanya, trying to lighten up the atmosphere. What was_ wrong_ with Yasu?!

"I wish you every happiness in your marriage," said Kuroki with an expression that proved he meant quite the opposite.

"Of course, of course," Tanya interrupted desperately, in a flurry. "Do come in and sit down! What are we doing at the entrance, anyways?!"

The home of Tanya and Yasunori Kuroki was perhaps nothing, in terms of worldly worth, compared to that big house in Knightsbridge that Mr Haworth planned on making him and Sylvia a wedding present, but it was filled with warmth and cosiness. Chiaki felt a pang when he realised that the young couple must be very happy together indeed. What a blessing it is to be with the person you love and to be loved back!

"But Nodame is gone out already," said Tanya.

"Ah, I guessed as much," Chiaki replied meekly. His eyes have been wandering around eagerly, as soon as he'd entered the house, but they failed to alight on the main object of his search. He found he was somewhat disappointed. The fiasco of last night had not given him enough time to gather his wits about and now, he deeply regretted not talking more properly with Nodame, regarding the normal stuff: like her career, life etc. What she's been doing, who she's been meeting and how she's been surviving!? Well, not that he wanted to know, really, but that's a standard thing to do, right? Like between old friends... when you meet them again after a long separation... Then out of blue, came the realisation that Sylvia could have relieved his suppressed curiosity very easily if only she'd acted like a normal well-bred person and made some effort to get to know her new acquaintance. But, oh no. Being selfless and useful to others was never part of her forte. For the first time, Chiaki admitted to himself that his bride-to-be was quite annoying.

"Nodame… Did she… tell you that she met me yesterday?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," said Kuroki. "She has our spare key and we didn't see her until this morning when she was just leaving. So we had no time to chat."

"Yes, so I was very surprised when Yasu told me you were coming to our house just twenty minutes ago!" Tanya laughed. "La, was there anything so funny? You two must be really connected by some telepathy or destiny or something!"

Kuroki shot her a warning look and Tanya stopped laughing immediately. He didn't have to be so severe! She thought sullenly.

"Tanya," her husband of three long years prompted her gently, accompanied by certain firmness. "Perhaps, some tea for the guest…?"

"Oh, what can I be thinking?! I'm sorry, Chiaki! Just a moment."

Tanya hurriedly got up from the sofa and Chiaki was impressed at how assertive Kuroki has become over the years! He could imagine Kuroki as a perfect model of strict but loving and caring father with a definite hold on the authority, when the time comes, and was momentarily distracted into wondering why the Kurokis were still childless. So he was totally unprepared for the next part.

"Chiaki-kun, forgive me for the things I'm going to tell you from now on, but I think I've known you and Megumi-chan long enough to have the privilege of speaking plainly to you."

He swallowed hard. Kuroki went straight to the point.

"Why are you getting married to that girl?"

"Eh?"

Could he have misheard him? But he was quite sober right now! Ridiculous to assume that he's hearing things but… Did Kuroki really ask him…?

"I know for a fact that your betrothed is the kind of girl who graces the front page of those celebrity magazines, _quite frequently_. She is nothing but a rich pretty girl. So why are you marrying her?"

With Kuroki looking at him with the eyes that clearly said _'are you out of your mind?'_, poor Chiaki was too stunned even to be offended by the insult his fiancée has suffered.

"Yasu!" Tanya cried out, returning from the kitchen swiftly. There was no tea or any kind of refreshment to be found in her hands. "What are you saying? Whoever Chiaki marries is entirely up to him!"

"Yes, but when your friend is walking down the wrong path, it is your duty to bring him back to the correct one."

"What makes you think he's making a mistake by marrying this young pretty girl who adores him!?"

Kuroki raised his voice a little.

"It is a big disappointment to me because his previous attachment was far, _way far_ superior to this girl!"

Tanya was not to be outdone in a match of whose-voice-is-louder.

"Nonsense! Nodame left him! Do you hear: _left him_! She has no right to be even considered in this matter!"

"But imagine what she must be going through now, after hearing of his engagement _and_ running right up to them in Paris!"

"You seem to have misunderstood the situation but let me assure you, Chiaki is the one to be pitied, not the other way around!"

Chiaki looked on nervously as they raised their voices in defence of him and Nodame in turn, who were quite unworthy of their righteous wrath, he thought. What was to be a pep talk from Kuroki for _his_ benefit had somehow turned into a full blown quarrel between husband and wife. It never did any good for a third person to interfere in a couple-fight but he couldn't just do nothing and let them carry on in this way.

"Please, you two," he tried to edge in a word warily. "I will be very sorry indeed if you guys quarrel because of me. And Nodame."

Tanya turned and looked daggers at him.

"Chiaki!" she cried. Chiaki automatically stiffened.

"_Hai!_"

"Just keep quiet and stay out of this!" she roared.

Chiaki could have very logically argued that it was his love life and prospective marriage that she and her husband were currently butchering on the cutting board, but seeing the white flame in her eyes he judged it wiser to do as he was told. He was not a little surprised that Tanya should jump up to _his_ defence so enthusiastically, rather than Nodame's. Chiaki had always thought of Tanya as something akin to Nodame's best girl friend and if anything, _she_ should be biting his head off instead of Kuroki!

"That stupid girl does not _deserve_ consideration in this matter!" she was shouting at her husband now. "She lost the right when she decided to give up _everything_!"

"Tanya, but that is going too far!"

"I don't care! Chiaki is better off forgetting about that idiot and just get on with his life!"

Suddenly, a suspicion that Tanya was actually angry at Nodame crept up to Chiaki's head. But, why?

"Even if they end up being miserable for the rest of their lives?!"

Kuroki's point hit more marks than he'd expected. Not only was Tanya silenced immediately, Chiaki gasped with shock. Miserable...? But surely.. he was not _miserable_ with Sylvia... was he? No, miserable is the wrong word... Maybe irritated sometimes and disappointed, but really... Would he be _miserable_?! He'd come here looking for answers, but the situation was getting worse by the minute.

"Of course I don't know this girl personally, but I can't imagine Chiaki-kun to be in love with someone as shallow as her. If he still insist that he's in love with her, then I must have been gravely mistaken in his character and temperaments!"

Feeling that she'd lost her ground with her husband, Tanya turned to Chiaki this time. His face was a real study; confusion, pain, and doubts, all mixed together. Above all, however, he looked very tired.

"You look like total shit! Did you not get any sleep at all last night?" she asked sharply.

"_Ah_," Chiaki answered her with a sigh. "Not really. Had to sleep on the couch…"

Holding back her curiosity as to why a grown man who could very well afford a five-star hotel room if he wanted to, slept on a couch, she ordered him: "Then go to our guest room and get some sleep!"

"Tanya!"

"Tanya, what are you…?"

Chiaki and Kuroki expostulated in chorus.

"Go on, I _insist!_"

Tanya's eyes were nearly burning. Due to, _only due to_, the lack of sleep and food, Chiaki was cowed into obeying her. She physically shoved him into the room and shut the door with a slam. The small single bed in one corner was a welcome sight indeed and without further thought, Chiaki fell sound asleep soon after collapsing onto it.

* * *

**A/N**: Aheh, love Kurokin...! So... When I say Takumi, Ichinose Takumi is the first one you guys think of? (hehe) NANA is of course one of my fav anime too but I don't like Takumi.. I prefer Nobu much more and I hate Hachi for hurting him!! -fumes- yes, I'm prejudiced cuz I'm in love with Seki-san's (Chiaki's) voice.. XD

Oh, do you guys watch this anime called 'They are my noble masters'? No, I don't recommend it, cuz it's really stupid, but I just watched a few episodes cuz Seki-san voices the main character, Ren. He's a teenager butler to a wealthy family of 3 sisters (like Hayate but less funny) and the eldest is actually a conductor... -o- then at the end of episode 2, during the preview time another girl was asking Ren, 'Shinra-sama is a great conductor, what do you know about music?!' then Ren says 'More than you'd expect!' and he changes his voice to Chiaki voice and says "Violin! More clearly on the rythm! Cello! More like you are singing!" (His lines from Platini competition, I think) XD Oh, man! I was roaring with laughter!!

-giggle- by the way, did you guys watch the Nodame Cantabile DVD special episode?! If you haven't GO GRAB IT RIGHT NOW! XD you can get it from anime-source[dotcom. It seems to be a missing episode, the one before the crew went to the Nagano music festival. I actually read it from the manga before and was wondering why this was missing from anime... but I guess it's more like a filler.. anyways. it's funny.. XD the way Chiaki's eyes are drawn to Nodame's bikini top... (D-cup Devil!!) XD

Ok... I got carried away :P


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N**: I'm sorry for the delay! I'd been two-minded about this chapter, so it had to undergo some _major_ reconstructions... Then the internect connection at home just decided to go _bonkers_ on me... -sigh- I think scrapping a whole chapter and rewriting it from the beginning again.. is the hardest decision for any kind of writer to make, but I just did it so please, clap for me... (boohoo) I only hope it was for the better... -giggle-  
**

* * *

**

**Chapter 6**

Chiaki woke up from his deep slumber slowly and reluctantly. His headache was gone and he felt so much more refreshed, compared to his first awaking today. It might be too childish to admit this, but a good restful sleep, and maybe a full belly, always put people in a better frame of mind. He almost felt happy again and ready to face anything that may come his way. He turned over to lie on his stomach and hugged the pillow tightly, relishing in the soft and fluffy feeling that brought in almost child-like delight! Chiaki wondered why he'd never felt this comfortable and happy even when he was in his own flat in London. Having decided to change his pillow to a fluffier one once he's back, he slowly pushed himself up from the bed.

This was the guest room of Tanya and Kuroki's snug little nest. Nothing luxurious about it, but very comfortable nonetheless – with an amazing pillow! And very… messy? Chiaki cocked his head to one side as his eyes caught on several layers of garments carelessly thrown over the back of the chair in one corner, various plastic bags and snack wrappers on the table, and a big luggage on the floor, opened wide to reveal more clothes, toiletries, some documents and a passport. He realised with a shock, that this… must be where Nodame is sleeping! He couldn't stop himself from blushing furiously as he imagined Nodame's head lying on the exact same spot on the pillow, as his had been just a few moments ago. When he first came in, he did not notice the surroundings for he was really very tired but now that he looked around carefully, the room definitely bore the usual sign of Nodame's invasion. She hasn't… changed?! Gosh, but judging from the more_ ordered_ mess, he guessed that even Nodame knew enough to be not so messy in other people's house.

His tummy rumbled loudly and gave him an untimely signal. He couldn't help it; Chiaki had not had anything to eat since last night. And the consumption of so much alcohol had been quite hard on his stomach – and on his liver as well, most likely. He needed to eat something. He went to open the guest room door, careful to not trip over a pair of Nodame's boots on the way. The house was strangely quiet: obviously, Tanya and Kuroki have stopped quarreling – that had been scary!

Never would he have thought that his private life and affairs would cause so much uproar - almost as much as when his more stunning performance had caught the attention, and hearts, of many audiences. But then, Tanya and Kuroki were friends. Good friends. Of course they'd also be concerned about him as a person, not just Chiaki Shinichi, a successful conductor. He searched earnestly in his heart to see if there was anyone in London whom he could call 'friends' like them, but was crestfallen to find none, out of hundreds of people he knew and interacted with everyday. Has his various acquaintances and relationship been all to no avail at all? What is it in him that made him so reserved and unapproachable?!

Then he heard the thunderous clatters of something hard and metallic falling down, closely followed by "Mukya! Gyabo…"

Chiaki turned and walked towards the noise. As expected, Nodame was standing in front of the kitchen cupboard in the midst of pots and pans, most of them upside down on the floor. She seemed to have hurt her thumb and was sucking it with teary eyes.

"What are you doing?! Are you alright?"

He began to stretch out his hand, but checked himself just in time. Nodame had already put her finger out of her mouth and hid it behind her.

"Ah, Nodame's fine, no problem," she said quite unstably. "It's just that the pot hit my finger when it fell…"

"You should be more careful, _baka_. What were you doing?" He frowned and bent down to pick up the cookware.

"Ah, senpai, Nodame will do it, please don't bother!"

Nodame was so flustered and in a rush to pick them up herself, that she actually managed to knock her head right into Chiaki's chin as she bent down in haste.

"Hugya, senpai!" she cried out, covering her head with two hands.

"_Omae_…!"

His teeth rattled from the impact, but at least he counted himself lucky that he didn't bite on his tongue. Gosh, her head was so hard!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Are you ok, senpai?"

"No, my head feels like a gong," he complained. "Do you carry a boulder in there or what?"

"Ahaha, Nodame's skull is thick, you said, after all…"

She was trying for a joke but Chiaki felt quite uncomfortable, remembering the things he said last night and how their relationship stood at the moment. He got up briskly.

"What are you doing in the kitchen anyways?" he asked again, nursing his almost-broken jaw. "You can't even cook."

"_Fuah_, Nodame can cook now!"

"I don't believe you."

"Nodame can! Nodame can!"

Chiaki didn't even bother to say what he was thinking and just gave her the '_yeah, right_' look. Nodame kept glaring at him for a while and then the stubbornness gradually melted to give way to a sheepish smile.

"Well, at least, Nodame can boil _ramen_ and egg without burning, in addition to making _Onigiri_."

"Oh, that's actually impressive!"

"Isn't it?!" she giggled. "Well, Nodame had to live alone in Tokyo for a while so…"

Nodame turned away to put the pots back in the cupboard. She had mumbled the last part but Chiaki's sharp ears had heard it quite clearly.

"You were living alone in Tokyo when you left France?" he asked.

"_Eh, maa_…"

She went quiet after that. Chiaki realised that he had brought up an uncomfortable topic, even to remember, for both of them. The natural conversations he's just had with her seemed very strange now.

When the silence that hung heavily around them became too suffocating, he asked, "Where are Tanya and Kuroki?" Well, that was a safe topic at least, wasn't it?

"Tanya said that they have a reservation for dinner somewhere and they both left. I think they were trying to be considerate about us, but I really think it's a pointless meddling on Tanya's part," she replied irritably.

"Ah… erm, I see."

No, nowhere was safe right now! Chiaki felt like he was walking blindly on a field of landmine. As the fact that they were completely alone in the house came into the light, he suddenly felt very awkward in her company, which had never happened before since the day one of their acquaintance! His brain seemed to be thinking of so many things at the same time, but nothing tangible managed to leave his throat. Should he talk about how well-suited Tanya and Kuroki were to each other, which no one would have foreseen? That they look happy together? But how could he talk so nonchalantly about other people's marital bliss to Nodame - of all people?! She might take it in a wrong way… or, maybe not react to it at all. Maybe she didn't care, really. He fidgeted with the shirt sleeve, scowling, and rubbed it on his trousers distractedly.

He turned his head away and asked abruptly: "Nodame, what are you doing in Paris?"

Her mouth became an 'oh' shape in surprise and spoke in slow deliberation.

"So, Tanya and Kuroki didn't tell you…" there was a short hesitation before answering. "Well, I came to Paris because the amateur choir I play the piano for is entering a contest here."

"P, piano…?" Chiaki's voice faltered. He'd caught on his breath when he heard the word 'piano' leaving her lips. _She's playing again?!_

"_Hai_…" she answered and avoided looking at his eyes.

His heart started hammering in his ears. This was bad for him. Just when he thought he'd finally got used to the idea of Nodame's renewed intrusion to his life, she just had to come up with this atrocious surprise to rampage on the order he'd been enjoying so far. Yes, Nodame was that kind of girl; she disturbed the peaceful tranquility wherever she went, neither did she do anything by half!

"But… by piano… I thought… what do you mean you play the piano…?"

"Senpai," she sighed heavily. "Is it so disagreeable to know that Nodame plays the piano again?"

"_Baka_, you know that's not what I mean!" he shouted out in sudden anger. Chiaki had hated her; hated her so much until now for abandoning him and the piano. He really believed she might never touch the piano, ever again! And look at her now, saying that she accompanies a choir, as if she'd done nothing else but! More than the joy that surreptitiously made him feel warm, he was angry. How dare she lead him on in this way? And to think his vile hatred was all to no purpose at all! It'd have been better if he could just hate her.

"_Omae_… Since when have you started playing again?" his voice shook in his attempt to control his temper.

"It's been some time…"

"Some time?" he cried harshly. "How long is this _'some time'_? Why didn't you tell me?"

Even as he blurted it out, he knew that was the wrong thing to ask. _Even_ Chiaki could see that there was no reason for her to report every single thing to him at that point. He coughed uncomfortably and said: "I mean, you could have come back to Paris a bit earlier.. and… maybe-"

"Please don't misunderstand," Nodame interrupted him. "Helping out with the choir is just one of my hobbies…"

"H, hobby?!" his eyes widened.

"It's not like I've taken up piano again to become a great virtuoso or something, so stop worrying, senpai."

"Worry?!" his brows snapped together in scowl. This cheeky little miss was taking the whole situation too lightly! He'd thought that he had already cured her of this levity towards the piano since a long time ago! _Professionally_ speaking, he couldn't allow a great musician with tons of talent to be buried in obscurity as a fellow musician himself. Even now, when she had already given himself up. Yes, only in terms of professional light, he stubbornly told himself. As his old possessiveness to be the one who leads and supports Nodame kicked in, Chiaki felt like he was treadding the same path all over again, only, this time Nodame refused to let him in. No explanation - even an excuse was offered as to why, when or how! He couldn't have been further away from her life than now.

"Nodame, why don't we go and grab something to eat?" he asked determinedly. He was getting really hungry, after all the emotional exhaustion.

"Eh?" she looked ill at ease.

"We didn't really get to talk properly last night, right?"

"But…"

"Come on, don't be so difficult," he snapped. It wasn't like he was _hitting_ on her or something!

"Senpai," she sighed. "But Sylvia-san will be worried about you."

Eh…? _Geh! _His heart sank to his stomach at the mention of Sylvia. From the nervousness and Nodame-issues that occupied most of his present concern, Sylvia, his _betrothed_, had flown out of his mind completely. Good God, there was _that_ problem too!

"Holy cow, what time is it now?!"

"It's nearly five, senpai."

"Damn it! Unbelievable. I missed the bloody plane!" he cried in annoyance.

"Eh, missed the plane?"

"_Sou da, kono baka_!"

He was immediately sorry for taking his frustration out on her when he saw Nodame flinch. Ye gods, can he ever do anything right?

"I'm… sorry for shouting, really," he bit his lower lip. "It's just… coming to Paris… last night… and.."

_Seeing you again_…

"I'm sorry too, senpai," she replied quietly.

Chiaki inhaled deeply and recollected his senses. First thing first, he had to check if Sylvia was okay.

He said, "let me just make some calls first, alright?" and disappeared into the guest room with his mobile phone. He called the hotel first.

"M'selle Haworth is already gone, monsieur."

The male receptionist, who'd answered the call, informed him.

"She left?"

"Yes, but she did inform us that her fiancé would check out later."

"Ah, yes. Precisely," Chiaki told him business-like. He was relieved to know that his absence has not perplexed Sylvia. But of course, Sylvia was a capable girl who did not need looking after, for she always did whatever suited her best. He thought he might be able to catch a night flight later, when a crazy idea flashed into his mind. Even crazier was that he actually acted on it.

"Some important business came up that would hold me in Paris for a few more days at least. Is it possible to keep the room?"

"Mais bien sûr, M. Chiaki! Avec plaisir," the receptionist answered benevolently and did some rapid calculations as how best to rearrange and reallocate the reservations in his head. But this young conductor was worth all the trouble – and probably the wrath of some customers – not only for his own fame's sake but also for his fiancée who was an only daughter of a multimillionaire.

After that, he called Sylvia's mobile.

"Shin, darling!" she exclaimed when she answered. "Where have you been? I was worried."

"I'm still in Paris. Sorry, I didn't realise how late it was until now. Are you alright?"

She laughed delightfully.

"Of course, I am. Why shouldn't I be? So when will you be back?"

"Erm, well…" he chose his words very carefully. "After meeting my friends I, er, realised that we had a lot to catch up and then…"

"Oh, honey, I'm at Tallulah right now. Can we talk later?"

"Right, so, I'm staying behind in Paris for a few more days," he said all this very fast and held his breath. Sylvia's reply came immediately, however, and in a favourable light.

"Oh, really? Ok, sure, but I really must go now. See you when you come back!"

Just before Chiaki hung up, he heard a noise of adhesive-tape, of some sort, being torn from something and Sylvia yelped in pain _(Where the hell is Tallulah?)_. Much to his comfort of mind, she sounded more cheerful than he'd feared. At the same time, he wondered fretfully what on earth was to be done with her. But before he wallowed himself in despair, there was just one more business to be taken care of. He flipped open his mobile once more and called Edward, his PA. Chiaki was nothing if not practical and well-organised.

"Hello," answered the cheerful Edward.

"It's me, Eddie."

"Mr Chiaki! What's the matter?"

"I'm in Paris."

"I know that, sir," Edward replied laughingly, but soon exclaimed: "Oh, my God! You missed the plane! Do you want me to get another ticket for you?"

"Ah, that's why I called."

"No problem, sir. Now, let me just…"

"I am detained in Paris so don't book another flight."

"…open my laptop and… What did you say?"

"I don't know when I'll be back, so don't worry about it."

"But what about the rehearsal tomorrow?"

"Let the concertmaster lead the practice. He should be fine for a few days."

"But the concert is in less than two weeks' time, sir!" poor Ed screamed in despair.

"I'll also trust you to inform the College as well," Chiaki added matter-of-factly.

"Sir!"

"Good luck," he hung up.

While Ed tore his hair and wondered if all great men really _did_ do whatever they pleased, Chiaki was also equally agitated at his own daring. Never had he neglected a single rehearsal like this before! He was the diligent and conscientious _workaholic_, who loved his work and never slacked off – unlike a regular customer, namely the Maestro Stresseman… He blenched, imagining a few scenarios of how his own very important concert might go wrong, but there was something he wanted to do no matter what. He wanted to confirm _why_ on earth he couldn't just up and leave Paris.

* * *

"What are you thinking, Tanya?" Kuroki's gentle voice brought his wife out of abstraction. 

"Hmm, just wondering what kind of circumstances can break the strongest of bonds in life..."

"Why the sudden seriousness?" he chuckled.

"I dunno..." she replied and leaned her head on Kuroki's shoulder. "Seeing Nodame and Chiaki again... makes you wonder, doesn't it? At first, they were the strangest and most unlikely people to be together, but now, it's even stranger to see them apart."

"Ah!" Kuroki turned towards Tanya, effectively pushing her head off his shoulder. "But you were shouting that Chiaki-kun would do better to marry his fiancée, _at me!_"

"That was!" she also flared up but soon her voice dwindled into murmurs. "Because I was angry... and you shouted at me, too!"

With his lips pursed in a straight line, Kuroki put his arm around Tanya's waist and she readily snuggled up to him.

"You should learn to control that sudden outbursts of yours..." he told her quietly.

"Yes, only if you'll stop being so taciturn!"

"Never at a loss for words, are you?"

"Well, Never!"

Kuroki looked down at her affectionately with a smile. He'd been very fortunate that he was able to marry the woman he loved. And if these little antics of hers were adoring in his eyes, then he must be seriously in love indeed! When he shyly broke the news about his engagement to his peers, there was no small amount of surprise. 'Unbelievable!' was just one of the many exclamations he'd received to his face. And when he'd told his parents...! Just as conventional and conservative as his old self, his family was in dismay over him marrying a foreigner.

They patiently listed, in order to dissuade him from the marriage, the cultural difference, problem of bringing up their children, the limitation to the language and communication, and so on. All very valid and totally pointless. Of course, he knew all that too - he was not stupid! - and decided to marry her despite them. Because he was quite sure there was no better person to share his life with than this vociferous, passionate and, sometimes thoughtless and naughty Russian pianist.

All those years ago, Megumi-chan had moved him so profoundly with her performance, inspiring such respect and awe as a musician. On the other hand, Tanya had touched his heart instead, as a woman. He couldn't explain it very well, but when Tanya played, he was more attracted to the person who could create such passionate music, than the quality of her playing in comparison to other pianists. Remembering how they used to bicker all the time, he laughed to himself and agreed love is strange indeed.

"Why are you laughing to yourself, like a fool?" Tanya interrupted his thoughts.

"Fool?" he raised an eyebrow. "A husband is never a fool."

Tanya rolled her eyes and said: "It's times like this that I really think you are weird too..."

"A husband is never weird!" he added stubbornly.

"Gosh, you are annoying."

"A husband is…!"

"Alright, alright! You are right, you are perfect, and I love you!"

Kuroki blushed a little and grinned sheepishly. Tanya snuggled closer to him.

"Yasu my darling, I also think it's awfully romantic to be sitting on a bench near the Seine, but…" she sneezed boisterously. "Can we go somewhere inside? I'm freezing!"

"It was your idea to leave them alone," replied a heartless Kuroki.

"But we don't have to freeze to death over their reconciliation!"

"Reconciliation…" he pondered. "Perhaps it's too much to expect them to be 'reconciled' to each other at this point…"

"Damn them! If they haven't by the end of the day, then they'll have to be responsible for my cold and Nodame shall nurse me back to health!" she cried vehemently.

He chuckled and wondered if they should move to a café at least. A sudden thought, however, entered his head and he asked: "Tanya, will you still love me after 8 years of estrangement?"

Instead of answering, Tanya looked at her foolish, weird and annoying husband for a while, as if he'd sprouted a second head on his shoulder, and spoke very slowly.

"No… I think I'll go and get a new boyfriend."

"Argh, I knew it!" Kuroki exclaimed tragically. "I've married a fickle woman! You'd probably jump at the opportunity too, right?!"

Tanya pressed hard on his nose with her index finger.

"If we've been estranged for 8 years, it'll only mean that we don't love each other anymore, or one of us is dead, because there's no way I'd be separated from you otherwise. I won't let you get off that easily, you know."

He acknowledged this, with a shudder, and said: "But then what about Megumi-chan and Chiaki? Shouldn't we also consider the possibility that they might have fallen out of love? I wonder if we've done wrong to throw the two of them together, when it may be better to bury the past in the past."

"Don't worry about them; they are on an entirely different planet from us," Tanya waved her hand about dismissively. "We all know Nodame is weird and her brain works in a unique way only comprehensible to herself. And maybe Chiaki," she added as an after thought.

"Do you think she still loves him?"

"I think she's a total moron and a gutless loser!"

"Huh?"

Kuroki was somewhat surprised and puzzled by her intensity but did not press her for an explanation. It was pointless; she wouldn't tell him anything. Over time, he'd learned that Tanya was fiercely protective of Megumi-chan and angry with her at the same time, which was quite odd. Yet, he didn't like to pry too deeply into what she obviously chose not to tell him out of her own will. He idly wondered if things were going well with Chiaki and Megumi-chan, and decided to find a café for hot cups of coffee when Tanya sneezed again, three times in row.

* * *

**A/N**: Aheh, I've already written the end part of Chiaki and Nodame's encounter, but it was too tense and heavy, so Tanya and Kuroki have agreed to put in an appearance as cameos! I was writing it with tears in my eyes, as a compensation for not being able to write lovey-dovey scenes with our fav star-crossed pair! T.T It breaks even the author's heart to see them apart -sniff- who keeps telling herself that she's not suited to write angst, but she's just conceived a new idea for an angst drama... What's wrong with me?! -.- 

In case you guys haven't realised... Tallulah is the name of beauty salon XD After the sentence, "Chiaki was nothing if not practical and well-organised" I was so tempted to add "even in his two-timing affairs" but I persevered! LOL it's off the record...


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Oh...! I got some reviews saying that the last chapter ended at a very unsatisfying place... but really, I didn't mean to be intentionally evil or leave you hanging! X0 Really, I just felt it a better place to end, rather than continuing til the end in one go, but I can see that it was left hanging.. sorry ;) but here's the rest of it, hopefully more satisfying, which I doubt. hehe. See? I didn't leave you hanging for too long, did I? But I can't promise you when the next chapter will be out..

btw, thanks for you review, **gina**. Nodame is always lovable wherever she is, whatever the age ;)

* * *

_Understanding is but a sum of misunderstandings._  
**-** Murakami Haruki

* * *

**Chapter 7**

With his immediate business cleanly taken care of, Chiaki placed his hand on the door knob to leave the guest room but something stopped him.

'_Busy: Stop and Think'_

It was the same warning signal his brain had sent when he was on the brink of entering the infamous Weirdo Forest. Oh, God. Has he just rushed through and done something stupid on an impulse like that time? Stop and think. Stop and think. Better take caution than end up in the unwanted place. After all, the slow concession towards the Weirdo Forest previous time was littered with _accidental_ happenings, and when he finally stepped into it, it was his heart deciding, not his head. But still... he couldn't say he'd regretted a single moment he'd spent there, even now. It was definitely risky, but somehow thrillingly adventurous and everyday had been rather… fun. That's when he learned, _really_ learned, what it meant to be happy. He'd fallen even deeper in love with his music, his life and his odd and extraordinary muse… Stop and think. Stop and think.

_Fine, I'll stop and think!_

He crossed his arms and scowled, maybe for 5 full seconds. There could be no two answers about this, whether rushed and impetuous or not! Call it an obsession, for he didn't have another word to describe it either, but he had to see and hear her playing again. And Nodame was not someone who could keep pushing herself towards that goal, if he was not there for her. But now, she'll play again.

_By his side._

No, did he just think that? Chiaki shook his head firmly. No, whatever the circumstances and whatever the outcome, he just wanted to hear her playing again. Just… Was that all he really wanted?

* * *

Outside the room, Chiaki's nose caught the strong fragrance of Earl Grey. Nodame was at the kitchen table, in the middle of tipping the teapot over very carefully, but she still ended up spilling almost half of the tea on the saucer. Seeing her 'gyabo' face, Chiaki chuckled and realised that it was not just the appearance but the core of Nodame has not changed at all either!

"Ah, is Sylvia-san alright?" she asked, while indicating to him the tea on the table.

"Yes, she's back in London already," he sat down and looked at the tea cup. He could see some dregs of tea leaves still floating on the surface. Knowing full well Nodame's prowess in the kitchen, Chiaki hesitated before taking a sip but he was in a pacifying mood and so he took a sip bravely, as a peace offering for all the shouting and irritations. _Geh._ He grimaced right away. Thankfully, however, it was only very bitter and not really poisonous.

"She… calls you Shin."

"Erm, yeah. She couldn't say 'Shinichi' very easily. Too difficult for her tongue."

"Hmm…"

What a topic to start with! Sensing his heart beating like mad, Chiaki tried to shove the uncomfortable feeling about Sylvia to the back of his mind. He was still undecided regarding that area, but he didn't want to worry about it just yet. Something will happen, eventually - probably - and right now, another very different woman was fully occupying his mind. She seemed disinclined to start a conversation first, after nodding meekly to his reply and was quiet. Chiaki fiddled with the tea cup absent-mindedly. There were many things he wanted to ask her: too many things to talk about with her! However, the problem didn't seem to be where to start, but whether he should voice them at all or not.

He finally decided to say something. Chiaki thought hard for a while before he said: "I'll be in Paris for some time too."

Nodame threw him puzzled looks.

He cleared his throat and said; "I haven't been back for a while either, so…"

She still said nothing, but he persevered.

"And… when is that choir competition you were talking about? I might attend it…"

"Senpai," said Nodame, finally, sighing in exasperation at the same time. "It's nothing but an amateurish thing. It won't even whet your appetite."

"Well, I'll be the judge of that," he told her firmly and Nodame only shrugged in answer.

_Damn!_ he thought. When did she learn to shrug so delicately like that? She almost looked indifferent!

"Anyways, let's go and get something to eat," he suggested.

Nodame's hearty appetite from last night, despite the awkward situation, had already convinced him that she still enjoyed her food and he wasn't surprised. Old habits were very hard to get rid of and here he was, trying to lure Nodame out once again with the food. If he could get her into good moods, then maybe she'd listen to him more readily. Chiaki did not have a solid plan yet, but he thought if he could just get her to agree to come to London with him, he'd be able to work out something for her. Sometimes, men believed too much in their own authority.

"Like I said, I don't think it's a good idea," she replied warily.

"But I'm starving!" Chiaki put on his best schoolboy's coaxing tone.

"Ah, then please go by yourself, senpai," she couldn't care less.

"_Omae_, aren't you glad, even a little bit, to see me again?"

"No, not at all!" Nodame shouted in sudden heat, her intensity nearly staggering him.

Now he remembered… Well, she did say that she was not in love with him anymore… Just because she broke up with that _jackass_ didn't mean she'll fall back into his arms… He had gotten too excited and raised his hopes up on, his own, and thanks to that, he was dashed into the severe disappointment, along with his hopes, all by himself. She didn't love him anymore. Even the temptation of a feast couldn't lure her to him anymore.

Chiaki mentally shook his head. He must really stop thinking like this. He only meant all that in a purely professional manner. He was an engaged man. That fact that he kept forgetting it when he was with Nodame, didn't even stand for a palatable excuse! His wedding was in less than two months' time. Oh, God... Yes, his wedding…! God, his wedding! He was getting married to someone else!

Chiaki blanched terribly, as various revelations hit him and wanted nothing more than to take himself off the premises as soon as possible.

"Right," he said dryly. "I'm sorry to have forced my presence on you."

"Senpai… I didn't mean," said Nodame in frustration.

"No, you have just shown me exactly what you really feel. I won't trouble you anymore."

He hurriedly picked up his coat and made to leave.

"Well, then. Goodbye."

He didn't wait for her reply nor did he turn back to look at Nodame, one last time. His pride was already in disgrace: the man Chiaki could not afford to show her the dejected expression he could feel creeping up on his face. But once he was out of the house, out of her sight, he leaned against the apartment door heavily and covered his eyes with one arm.

"Now, why did I decide to stay behind in Paris…?"

He hoped the bitter taste in his mouth was from the sip of Nodame's tea he had, and nothing else. It was all so confusing.

* * *

When Nodame was sure that Chiaki had walked away from the door, she let her old self take control and ferociously swirled her arms like two windmills, shouting: "_Baka bakashi_!"

She began to stomp around the flat.

"How can I be glad to see you again when you are already betrothed to another woman?! Are you trying to kill me?"

She kept screaming some random things – _Senpai no baka! Oni! Akuma! Baka!_ – to herself and tore her hair. She was panting. It wasn't enough. She felt extremely constricted all of sudden, and began to tug violently at her clothes._Glad_ to see him? She regretted it more than anything she has ever done until now! Because it hurt _so_ much… She pounded her chest with an open palm and sobbed hard.

Last night, she had accepted Sylvia's invitation to dine with them on an impulse. Of course, she'd wanted to be with senpai for just a little longer! Ever since she left Paris, Nodame never stopped thinking about Chiaki senpai. In secret, she laboriously searched and collected any piece of news about him in the world of music, where she did not belong anymore. She thought his image was engraved quite clearly in her mind, but seeing him in reality last night still came as a shock to her. There he was, Chiaki senpai, whom she's only met in her dreams for years, and now she could touch the original him if only she'd extend her hand a little.

Oh, would it was but a dream!

She picked up her own coat and left the flat, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

Tanya simply gaped at the unlocked door.

"She… is not in…" she said slowly.

"Doesn't look like it."

"She… left the door open!"

"Erm, Tanya…?"

"And what is my favourite cushion doing on the floor?"

"Calm down, seems like nothing is missing."

"Where is this Nodame?! I'm going to grind her to powder!"

"Tanya…"

Kuroki tried to calm his wife in vain, and Tanya stomped to where the cushion was lying, picking it up carefully.

"Do you think this means it didn't go well between them…?"

"Ah… Well…"

"_Merde_, those troublesome kids!"

Kuroki checked himself from reminding her that she was actually the youngest, and wondered where Megumi-chan has gone to.

* * *

Since the meeting last night, Nodame was a mess. She couldn't think straight, even breathing normally became a chore for her. She'd missed him… Yes, Nodame never cared about anyone else but him. She thought she'd made that point very clear during many years they'd spent together. Nodame was never daunted when all she got in return for her unconditional love was smacks on the head, angry shouting and cold shoulders. And when senpai had finally opened his heart to her and gradually showered her with affection and love, Nodame still allowed him his spaces and time to chase after his own dream, all out of love. So when she'd declared that she's leaving France, she was surprised at how readily Chiaki senpai accepted that she'd fallen in love with someone else, more than anything else. Foolish man…

_You are equally foolish, Nodame!_

Tanya's fierce voice seemed to ring in her ears. Maybe she was… No, she _was_ foolish as well. She'd let him go first. We are all so stupid…

She stopped walking and looked at the familiar sight of stone steps that led down to the small path along the river. Was this where it happened? That fatal accident had changed her life and threw her into the abyss of despair, but several years later, Nodame couldn't even recall the exact place where it happened. Humans are really convenient creatures. With a little bit of effort, they can easily erase any unpleasantness from their flexible minds. Then even the pains become numb and you slowly, slowly get used to your new life, without much regret.

It was a mere fortnight before the preliminary.

After a long preparation and deliberation on Yoda's part, Noda Megumi, 24 years old, the pianist, was participating at an international Piano competition. Quite unnecessary to mention that she was overjoyed and determined at the same time! Chiaki senpai was also very happy and fretted over her like an overprotective parent. For the first time, Nodame enjoyed the almost undivided selfless devotion from the man she loved more than anyone in the world. He made sure she slept and ate properly, so that she doesn't become the remnants of her spirit – with fireflies flying around her – and guided her through each and every piece she was to play. Sometimes he'd annoy her with his autocratic ways, but Nodame only giggled to herself as she knew he loved her that much.

Only, he was not a parent – or even a manager – who could devout his time to her endlessly; he also had a career and a place he needed to be. And when that career required that he go on a tour with his orchestra around the country for at least two months, Chiaki seriously thought of asking for an early sabbatical so that he could stay with Nodame throughout her first international competition.

Of course, Nodame wouldn't let him. She couldn't! She was very touched that senpai thought of Nodame to that extent but she couldn't be happy knowing that it was Nodame herself who stopped senpai from doing what he loved to do most. She smiled broadly when she went to send him off at the train station, and promised that she'd have passed her first preliminary with flying colours by the time he's back. Then he can attend the finals and see his Nodame shine! Now Chiaki looked more like a schoolboy reluctantly returning to his boarding school after long and happy summer holidays.

"Make sure you eat properly. Even if you must eat canned food, don't skip any meals!"

"Okay, okay, I understand!" she replied laughingly. "Senpai, Nodame is not a kid anymore!"

"And don't be just cooped up in your room, playing piano 24 hours a day, okay? It's not healthy. You can go out once in a while to breath, okay?"

"Senpai," Nodame turned him around and gave his shoulder a little push. "You'll miss the train! Thank you so much for worrying about Nodame, but husband also has to work and earn money for the family…"

"I just know your ways too well…" he frowned and looked down at her cheeky smile. Suddenly he snapped. "I'm not your husband!" _Yet._

"Whatever you say, _anata_," she only giggled rather knowingly and it annoyed Chiaki.

"You," he pinched her nose hard, not so affectionately. "Hang on there until I come back, alright?"

"Senpai… Nodame is not a bébé-chan anymore… I'll be fine, just go."

Chiaki got on the train, sighing inwardly and wondered if she'd really be fine in his absence.

As expected, Nodame was soon put under a lot of pressure despite her confident assurance. Moreover, there was no one to be concerned about her well-being so meticulously without senpai, and she skipped her meals and baths even more than she usually did. But this was a God-given chance for her to finally catch up to him. She was getting tired of always running after him; Nodame wanted to stand next to the man she loved and walk with him together, at the same pace. So all the pains and stinks and itches in her hair were worth it. As her room became completely unliveable, Nodame escaped to Chiaki's room for the piano and ate baguette with butter if she remembered to eat.

Yes, a fortnight before the first big-day.

As she ferociously finished playing a Beethoven piece, Nodame felt the flow between the ends of her index fingers finally connect and let out a cry of exaltation.

"Ah! Nodame understands now! Beethoven, you've been a good friend until now. Thank you so much! I'll be eternally grateful to you for composing such a complicated and in-depth piece! Aren't you so clever…" Nodame murmured incoherently and said, "OK, one more time, just like this!" but found that her hands were shaking.

"Gyabo! What's wrong?"

Her tummy rumbled loudly and gave her a prompt answer.

"Muki, when was the last time I had anything to eat…?"

She got up from the stool and nearly crawled to the kitchen. When she opened the fridge, it only yielded rotten celery, some dried butter and soy sauce.

"Guah! Nothing to eat!" she screamed in despair. "Senpai, there's nothing to eat!"

But her beloved senpai was silent – and far from home – and she clung to the fridge door tragically.

"Nodame should have bought a hundred baguettes at the beginning of the month! Muki… Let's see if Tanya's got any food…"

She left the room, walking rather unstably, and climbed up to pound on Tanya's door.

"Tanya, it's Nodame! Tanya, do you have any food? Anything to eat? Tanya! Nodame is starving!"

It seemed like the room was empty. Nodame tried Frank's and even Yunlong's door but no one was at home.

"Gyabo… Not even one of them at home… Where are they…? Muki…"

Moaning, she walked back to her room, very unstably, and decided to go out to get something to eat. This was a matter of life or death. Well, the competition was also a matter of life or death, but if she died now then she wouldn't be able to compete at all! Luckily, her purse was plump, for she hadn't used her money for many days. She felt elated and decided to order the extra-large seafood pizza, with salad Niçoise and Coke from the usual Italian restaurant they all loved to go.

Having eaten to her content, Nodame thought she'd actually adhere to Chiaki senpai's advice and take a breather for a while. She climbed down the stone stairs on her way back home, to a quiet path on the riverbank. The supper had been a happy affair and thinking how she'd go back and play the Beethoven once again with the refilled energy, she stared at the river with satisfaction. The sun was about to set and there were only a few people around.

"No, Mama. I don't want to!"

Suddenly, a little boy shouted angrily behind Nodame. She whipped her head to see what the matter was and saw two figures wrestling on the steps.

"Stop it, Jean-Claude! We must go and see the doctor!"

"No, I'm not going to get the injection! I'm not having my tooth pulled out!!"

The poor boy was being dragged on by his mother, who looked irritated and tired, but he adamantly pulled his hand from her clutch.

"I don't want an injection!"

The mother scolded him in loud voices. The boy started to sob and Nodame smiled to herself nostalgically. She also remembered how madly she used to run about the school on vaccination days to avoid the injection. She once hid in the old and rundown classroom far off the main building for the whole day and her teacher had scolded her so much! Children were all the same everywhere. Getting an injection was one of the things she was still scared of and Nodame felt sorry for Jean-Claude.

"I am not moving from this spot!"

As Nodame watched, he gave a final violent tug and managed to free himself from his mother. But because he'd been pulling so hard, the little boy soon lost his balance and was hurled into the air, falling headlong down the stairs.

"_Abunai!_"

Instinctively, Nodame threw herself in front; caught his body in her arms and stopped him from hitting the cold concrete ground. The impact was strong enough to make Nodame lose her balance and she stumbled on her feet. Jean-Claude was not so little after all! Before she fell on her bottom, Nodame automatically put out her right hand behind to stop the fall. The weight of her and Jean-Claude's bodies were pressed hard on her bent wrist and she felt a sharp electric pain shoot up all the way to her right shoulder, as her hand hit the ground.

When Chiaki had come back from his tour, Nodame had failed the first preliminary and was in deep depression.

* * *

Hmm... now you know why.. Oh, dear... ;) I realise the Chiaki-devotion part kinda overlaps with recent raw manga chapters but I'd planned it already a long time, and so Nodame's reaction is a bit different. Ok, one mystery solved.. now the other one..


	9. Chapter 8

Mais elle était à moi, je défiais tout.  
(_But she was mine, I defied all._)

- Hector Berlioz in his memoirs

* * *

**Chapter 8**

They were having drill-rehearsals to make up for the week Chiaki had missed. He felt very guilty; after all he'd been away on a personal business following his whim, but the musicians only looked at him with worries in their eyes and not reproach. They had never known him to be negligent with any form of practice, and realised that if it was important enough for him to miss the rehearsals before a concert, then it probably was more important than his life itself! Majority of them had worked with Chiaki for a while and they caught onto his moods very quickly (that was a way of survival, working under a Demon!). But seeing his long face now, they wondered if the business he was attending to in Paris had not gone as he wished. Now they were doubly worried; would he come down on them like angry lightening? Maybe they shouldn't have had those two days off at the beginning of the week. As they quaked in their seats, Chiaki raised his baton and rapped the music stand.

"OK, from the top."

_Symphonie Fantastique_, subtitled an 'Episode in the life of an artist' was written by the French composer Hector Berlioz, who had been dubbed as the most innovative symphonist of the early Romantic era - 'first and only genuine Romantic'. The symphony was one of his more widely known works that broke all the conventional rules, when it first burst on the Parisien audience in 1830. As the seducing thin cries of strings transported him to the Rêveries of the first movement, Chiaki's mind also began to wander.

Berlioz was a passionate man, being able to express himself only in the most fervent terms, with great enthusiasm. At the younger age, he was left uncultivated as a child prodigy in music as he deserved, but instead studied the basics of Medicine under his father's care, on top of Latin, Mathematics and whatnots, in preparation for a medical career. But his maddening love affair with music, the source of his undying passion, did not allow him to be anchored in such a detestable and appalling – having been horrified in the dissecting-room – subject, and against the wishes and orders of his whole family, Hector Berlioz decided that his future, vocation, destiny, could hold nothing but music.

He chose to eat leeks and raisins in order to be able to pay for the entrance fee to Paris Opéra, sang as a lowly chorus singer in a bawdy theatre to earn his rent and studied composition at the Paris Conservatoire under the aegis of Prof. Le Sueur, who regarded him as eccentric as he was a genius.

Then he saw Harriet Smithson – on the stage – and fell desperately in love with her, her Ophelia and Shakespeare. It was an obsession bordering on madness. Instead of waiting for her on the steps of backstage door, like many other men with ulterior motives, Berlioz sent Harriet numerous impassioned love letters, declaring his undying love for her, all of which the prudish Irish actress ignored unceremoniously. For several years, he had not even met her formally - she was the rage of Parisien stage and he, only a poor nameless eccentric composer. Greatly inspired by his beautiful muse and the sad unrequited love, rage, passion, jealousy, despair and a bit of opium maybe, Berlioz wrote the _Symphonie Fantastique_, that tells a story of 'an artist gifted with a lively imagination' who has 'poisoned himself with opium' in the 'depths of despair' because of a 'hopeless love'.

Strangely enough, though, Berlioz started a relationship and got engaged to another woman, a pianist, despite his continued infatuation with Harriet. Chiaki wondered why. Was he, perhaps, lonely? Desired someone should at least attempt to fill the void inside him? Or was he in too much of agony to see reason…? Trying to cure his broken-heart with a new love…? Who better than himself to understand it… _Really._

Suddenly, he noticed that the hall was quiet and they'd stopped playing. Everyone was looking at him.

"Why, what's the matter?" he asked in puzzlement.

"You… stopped conducting," the concert master told him cautiously. With a jolt, Chiaki saw both his hands resting on the stand and the score still opened to the first page. _Oh, for crying out loud!_ He cursed under his breath and mentally shook himself out of reverie. A fool three times over, if there ever was one…

"Sorry, from the top again," he said, and the rehearsal started once again.

* * *

At the college, Chiaki slumped against the leather sofa in the foyer, a cup of coffee from the vending machine in hand, trying to load himself with enough caffeine to last the day. Vending machine coffee was a novelty he was loath to try and its somewhat sour aroma had offended his delicate nose. But he didn't have time to be particular, as he needed to finish a quick sorting out of his schedule for the next term with the admin and then back to the orchestra for more rehearsals. He sipped the hot liquid from the plastic cup, rather tentatively. _Disgusting!_ he winced. He thought he might raise the question of providing the poor sleep-deprived students with better tasting coffee at least, at the next staff meeting, and drained the sadly diluted sugar drink. 

He sighed gravely - without reason. No, he sighed because he remembered his last encounter with Nodame and because he still couldn't get it out of his head, even when he was conducting! It had hurt him to see her refusing him so blatantly, had decided he'd leave the country at an earliest convenience. But even his crying heart could not deny him the chance, perhaps for the last time ever, to hear her playing the piano, with that fiery spirit she always displayed. She was obviously reluctant to invite him to the _concour_, but _he_ wanted to go and _he_ could do as he pleased without getting permissions from her!

Gone was his rational thinking and level-headedness; Chiaki asked and searched around to find out exactly what competition she was participating in, when and where; he'd whiled away two days in Paris, just waiting for the Wednesday to come; had missed several of what was supposed to have been _intense_ rehearsals and not booked the return flight until the latest possible date. God forgive his idleness at the peak of his busy schedule but he had to attend the competition, by hook or by crook!

And he had seen her playing; rather, had been rewarded by her pure and uncalculated sound that still drew him so strongly to her music, absorbing him. It made him feel like he's also part of the music, like she was sharing her thoughts and feelings about the music with him. She pouted; she swayed; she closed her eyes and nodded her head in time with the tempo. In short, she was brilliant! Soon, every scene, every sound around him disappeared and he could only see her and hear her piano. The singing voices of the choir sounded muted like they were coming from deep inside a cave.

Then it ended. A warm applause exploded in his ears. When Chiaki came back to his senses, he had to blink several times as if to get rid of the trance that clouded his eyes. She'd been magnificent, as ever. No, the word magnificent could not even describe what he was feeling. She had just been… _Nodame_. He wondered how her Beethoven or Rachmaninoff would sound like now, with regret, but it was futile. It was all so pointless… and without hope. He couldn't see the way back to her.

"I don't want to see my friend living an unhappy life, knowing his marriage is a complete joke!"

Kuroki had exclaimed when they were drinking alone, just before he'd left. A joke, chuckled Chiaki. Yes, a joke, isn't it… He realised it too, now. He'd thought everything would work out fine, as long as they didn't get too involved in each other's life, just like they'd been so far, but Kuroki was right when he refused to believe that he was in love with his fiancée - although Chiaki didn't give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

"Just ask yourself this: can you, in all honesty, live rest of your life with someone who does not share the same passion as you?" asked Kuroki.

Chiaki did not answer him. In fact, _could not_.

"Then what about this: should you be marrying someone you _don't_ love when your _true_ love is quite unattached and right in front of you again?"

Damn it, that question of love, love, love again! He had long given up on that emotion. It was too burdensome. You love someone, you make sacrifices for the person, you spend time with the person, you get used to having the person with you all the time and then suddenly, the person decides to leave you. You are left with a broken-heart and barely manage to pull yourself up from drowning emotionally. It had been the same with his father, and now Nodame… He got engaged because he was tired of being alone. Sylvia seemed a good marriage material because he didn't love her fully. Being in love for a 100 percent - or even 102, as he had been – was too tiring. It left him totally drained and burnt out; he was getting too old for the game. Besides, it didn't matter anymore whoever he married, when _she_ left him… The possibility of a _replacement_ was out of question.

Kuroki smiled ruefully and told him of his suspicions on this Takumi person.

"Have you ever met Takumi?" Kuroki had asked.

"No… she met him while I was out of town… And of course, even if it's Nodame, she wouldn't dare flaunt her new boyfriend in my eyes…"

"Ok, fair enough, but what about us?"

"What do you mean…?"

"Well, the funny thing is, none of us, not even Tanya, has ever laid our eyes on this mysterious person called 'Takumi', with whom Megumi-chan was supposed to have spent some time while you were away and so on."

"…What are you saying, Kuroki…?"

"I am saying that there's a possibility that Takumi does not exist outside Megumi-chan's imagination and is, in fact, only a fabrication of some sort."

"_Bakana!_ Are you saying that Nodame has gone crazier than usual and started making up some imaginary friend?"

"No!" Kuroki cried in exasperation and rolled his eyes. "I mean he's just Megumi-chan's invented excuse for leaving!"

If Kuroki thought that would make Chiaki feel happier about the situation, he was wrong. Chiaki was even more depressed than ever!

"You mean Nodame even had to make up some impossible stories about a new boyfriend to leave me? That she was _that_ desperate to leave me?"

"That… I don't know," Kuroki was nothing if not honest. His companion took another sip from his glass and wondered gloomily if Kuroki was trying to cheer him up or push him further into the dark vales of self-hatred.

"At least, it tells you that there was no _other man_," he added, trying to be cheerful.

"It still doesn't change the fact that she _left_ me."

Yes, she had left him and he couldn't see the way back to her…

"And what stops you from pursuing her now?"

"Kuroki," cried Chiaki in exasperation. "Do I really need to remind you, once again, that I am already engaged!"

"Ah, for Christ's sake!" his friend shouted in equal annoyance. "You are not even married yet and this is 21st century where the divorce rate is even higher than the marriage rate – probably! It's not like they'd sue you for the breach of promise or something. There's nothing wrong with breaking the engagement; no, in your case, the sooner you break it, the better, not only for you but also for your bride as well! Are you really going to put yourself – and her – through a loveless marriage between two incompatible people?"

"You haven't even met Sylvia," complained Chiaki, feeling acutely uneasy with Kuroki's directness and where the talk was leading.

"No, but I know you and I know Megumi-chan. That's all I need to know."

"Well, I didn't know you thought me so _fickle_ and _dishonourable_," he said cynically.

"No, but now I see that you really are as obstinate as a mule!"

"You've changed, Kuroki."

"So have you!"

The two friends remained silent, each in their own contemplation.

"I'm leaving for London tomorrow," said Chiaki, with a sigh, in the end.

"Tomorrow!?"

"Yes, first thing in the morning."

"But, are you really going to leave things as they are?"

"What else can I do about them?"

"Well…!" Kuroki racked his brain for an answer but he couldn't find anything that he hadn't told him already, short of telling him to kidnap Megumi-chan and run off with her to a place where nobody has even heard of them. No, wait… It didn't sound half as bad, though. After all, he's been living in Paris, the city of Love, of Romance, for a decade, and was married to a Russian woman. That much drama was nothing unusual in his life.

"Besides, I have a concert on Friday the week after."

"Oh, you do," said Kuroki, and immediately exclaimed, "you do?!"

"I know, I missed a few rehearsals already, when we are practically on the threshold of opening day. I must be mad…"

"Hmm…"

Kuroki hummed and sank deep into meditation.

* * *

Close to the lunch time, the whole college was passing him by in a hustle and bustle, and a bunch of them actually eyed him strangely, before they halloed. Chiaki laughed to himself humourlessly as he imagined their surprise at seeing their respected assistant director so unkempt.

"Shin!" someone called him from behind and he nearly groaned aloud. It was his fiancée.

"Sylvia," he replied weakly. As smooth as ever, Sylvia promptly sat herself down next to him on the sofa. "How did you find me?"

"Well, Eddie told me I'd find you at the college today. How are you?" she asked and added quickly, "no, don't tell me. I can see you've been through hell. The concert is in 3 days' time, isn't it? I can't wait for it to be over!"

He did not like her reference to his concert in such a carefree way. He would indeed be glad when the concert is over, not because he hated it, as Sylvia's tone suggested, but because he'd be filled with satisfaction and fulfillment. Now that his eyes are opened and _some_ of his human emotions are back, it seemed like every little thing Sylvia said or did was irritating him. He knew he wasn't being fair on her, and felt guilty.

Then a loud voice caught his attention, more than all the chatters and the clatters that went on around him, because it was speaking in rapid French.

"Where the hell is this elusive man? We come all the way to London, just to see him and you don't even have the foresight to ask his number!"

Not only that, Chiaki definitely knew that voice!

"Well, it couldn't be helped! It was a spur-of-the-moment decision of _your_ husband," a voice he didn't recognise answered indifferently and Chiaki dearly hoped he was mistaken about the previous one. "Who cares? If it was up to me, I wouldn't have come here in the first place. I don't particularly want to see this guy, you know."

"Well, nobody cares what you want either so shut up!"

"You're so rude!"

"You're so noisy! Why are you here anyways? Who asked you to come?"

Oh, no... The more he listened to it, the surer he became of the identity of the voice.

"Behave, you two! We just need to find his office."

Another familiar voice!

"What's wrong, Shin? You look rather pale," Sylvia asked.

"Erm," not knowing what to say, Chiaki averted his eyes from her, stood up and turned around slowly. Just as he'd feared, there they were; he saw them.

"AH! Chiaki!" screamed Tanya at the top of her voice, with a finger pointing at him. Several passers-by were startled into turning their heads to stare at the shouter. "My God, we found him! Yasu, we found him!"

"Yes, yes, I can see him too," her husband replied in a resigned voice and they all approached Chiaki.

"Kuroki, what the hell are you doing here?"

But alas, hostility was the first thing that came out of him, towards the man who probably was the ringleader of this little expedition.

"I'm on holidays," Kuroki told him curtly.

"I'll be damned if I swallow that!" he replied heatedly, and was about to spit out a few more heated sentences, when Sylvia interpolated with interested eyes.

"Darling, aren't you going to introduce us?"

"Right, sorry."

Although that was the last thing he'd like to do right now, Chiaki duly introduced Tanya and Yasunori Kuroki, as his old friends from the Paris time and had the misfortune to see Kuroki greeting Sylvia with an overly restrained friendliness. _This guy…!_ He was seething and grinding his teeth, when his eyes clapped on a third person, a young man with flaxen hair which was carefully arranged in a dishevelled fashion as if swept aside by the wind. He was probably the owner of the voice that he hadn't recognised before.

"Who are you?" asked Chiaki

"You and Tanya are the same, so rude!" he cried. "No matter, I remember you, _ex-chef!_"

"Chiaki, remember? This is Lucas, from Conservatoire?" Tanya reminded him.

"Lucas…?" Chiaki frowned. "Lucas… Ah, you mean that midget who used to follow Nodame's tail all the time?"

"_Qu'est-ce que t'as dire, esp__èces du...!_"

"Ok, enough," Kuroki waved his hand about and stopped Lucas' emotional overflow.

Indeed, the little boy with a bowl-head was a little boy no more and had grown into a good-looking young man, as tall as Chiaki, if not taller. While he mused distractedly, recalling the boy's bizarre attraction towards Nodame, Sylvia's expectant eyes caught his attention. "Ah, and this is Sylvia, my…" He hesitated awkwardly, for a fraction of a second, and Lucas put himself forward.

"You must be ze fiancée! Enchantez, ma belle mademoiselle," he said, with a beautiful smile and raised Sylvia's hand to his lips, adding under his breath, "_Dépêches-toi et epouses ce_ batard _immédiatement_, _ma chérie._"

Sylvia blushed a little at his French gallantry and asked, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Tanya smacked Lucas' head, Kuroki cleared his throat uncomfortably and Chiaki put his hand to his brows.

"Nothing, nothing," said Tanya animatedly. "He said congratulation on your engagement." (Actually, he said, _Hurry up and marry this bastard immediately!_)

"Ah, thank you!" beamed Sylvia.

Chiaki's eyes roamed about in an unsettled manner. But if these guys were here…?

"Kuroki, is she…?" he asked uncertainly.

"Oh, my God!" gasped Tanya. "Where is Nodame?!"

"Geh! Wasn't she just behind us a moment ago?"

"Ah, my Nodame, always on a quest for more music, more love and more food! I am quite sure she didn't want to meet a certain person here."

Everyone ignored Lucas' theatrical outburst.

"I'll go and look for her," said Chiaki.

"No, I'll go!" cried Lucas.

"You don't even know your way here. You'll only get even more lost. I'll go. Wait here," Chiaki replied firmly and left them.

The party fell quiet, not knowing how to continue the conversation without the mutual acquaintance, except the soft grumblings from Lucas, which nobody paid much attention. Tanya smiled at Sylvia awkwardly and she smiled back vaguely.

Kuroki decided to break the ice and asked, "so, how old are you, Sylvia?" with a thinly veiled sarcasm and earned a painful pinch on his arm from his wife.

* * *

Chiaki's heart was beating uncomfortably fast, as he took off in some random direction. Despite what he'd said to Lucas, he had not a single clue where Nodame might be, but only that she was here in this building, at the same place as him. 

_She's here! She's here, in London! Why is she here? Couldn't she have just left me alone? After all that's happened… but she's here!_

He couldn't even begin to imagine with what kind of mindset Nodame agreed to come to London with Kuroki and others. Perhaps, her 'no' actually meant 'yes' and secretly in her heart, she wanted to meet him again? Over the years he'd learned, from personal experiences, that a woman's no means yes, and her yes actually means no. Well, Nodame was a woman, after all, right...? He chuckled. Yes, well, that's precisely why he had butterflies in his stomach from just thinking that he'd soon see her, wasn't it? Although, he wouldn't have thought Nodame was missish at all... Or was he reading too much into this? Like he did in Paris? Was she really here just for a short break, like Kuroki said? A holiday...?

While his mind wandered in strange directions, Chiaki realised his feet had also wandered into somewhere he didn't expect to find himself at. Practice rooms. He was standing at the mouth of hallways to the practice rooms. Students were everywhere, carrying instruments and scores, shouting at their friends, occasionally throwing a friendly greetings at him, busily going about their own ways. The scene reminded him of his student days and he smiled faintly. He was just about to turn around and walk away, when he noticed a girl looking into a practice room with her nose stuck to the window.

A girl. He could still only think of her as a girl. Whereas Sylvia was sophisticated and sage with her mundane knowledge even at her young age, she still remained in his heart a pure and endearing girl, quite unspoilt by the evils of the world, just as she had been 8 years ago. And he wanted her. Damn it, she belonged to him! There was no one else he wanted to share his life and music with! He might have been hurt by the heartlessness of love and consequently dazzled by the worshipful eyes of another, but despite them, in spite of everything that's happened, he still wanted her. It wasn't just a question of love or some such _childish_ emotions. No, the thing between them ran much deeper than that. She had not been just a lover, but also a friend, partner, supporter, a sharer of all his passions and dreams! He'd been a fool to let her go. But his upcoming wedding with Sylvia hovered warningly in his mind and then he understood the true meaning of despair.

Nodame was smiling like an angel. Chiaki never thought to use such words to describe her, but there she was; smiling so peacefully into the window, like a loving mother looking at her child playing in the sand or a lover gazing at her partner's beautiful face. Suddenly, he felt an unreasonable jealous rising up in his heart, but controlled it manfully. He knew what she was looking at. Even when they were so much in love, it would have been an impudence to ask her, 'which do you love more, me or the piano?' like those common silly questions, 'who would you save first if me and your father were drowning at the same time?'. No, that was a bad example. There shouldn't be any hesitation in that, as he would definitely drown and die within 2 minutes!

She was so engrossed in what she was looking at, that she didn't even notice him when he came right behind her.

"Do you miss it?" he asked huskily.

"Mukya!" she screamed and knocked her forehead on the small window, as she was startled. "S, senpai!"

"It sure brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Senpai, what are you doing here?"

Nodame looked everywhere but at his face, and tried to edge away from the close vicinity of his body.

"I came to look for you," Chiaki replied and put his hands on the practice room door, completely trapping her in the circle of his arms. "But I should be the one asking you, really. What _are_ you doing here?"

"Well, obviously, Tanya and Kuroki and Lucas and Nodame, we all came to visit you at the college!"

"Not that!" he whispered roughly. "Why did you come to London, at all?"

She laughed nervously. "Nodame was kidnapped."

"Huh?"

"Tanya told me we were going to the Euro Disney and made me pack. The next thing I know, I'm on the plane to London, Heathrow!"

"K, kidnapped..."

If Chiaki was disappointed, he hid it well.

"But since we are here..." she hesitated a little before saying, "we might attend your concert... I hear it's on Friday...? Is that alright with you, senpai...?"

Chiaki's face turned a deep red immediately and he could only manage to stammer a word of consent. Nodame coming to his concert! Coming to hear his music again...!

The girl who's been practicing inside the room was now standing and looking at them oddly. He quickly grasped Nodame's hand firmly in his and pulled her away before she could say anything.

"Whatever, let's go back to the others."

* * *

** -End Note-**

The engagement between Berlioz and another woman came to nothing, as she called it off to marry a rich piano manufacturer. Having won the Prix de Rome, Berlioz was studying in Rome by then with the scholarship, but when the news reached him, he was so enraged that he decided to return to Paris and kill his fiancée, her mother and the new man in vengeance. He meticulously prepared a disguise for himself as a maid, stole a pair of duelling pistols – saving a single bullet for himself – and bought some poisons, lest the guns should fail him. But, by the time he travelled to Nice, Berlioz realised how ridiculous the whole plan sounded like and returned to Rome, after having composed a sequel to _Symphonie Fantastique_, called _La Retour à la vie_, the Return to Life (_Lélio_).

Hector Berlioz and Harriet Smithson finally got married in 1833, 5 years since the first time Berlioz had seen her, and 3 years since the completion of the _Symphonie Fantastique_. Unfortunately, however, the happy marriage only lasted nine years, during which Harriet was driven to despair and alcohol abuse by her failed acting career, mounting debts, et cetera. After the divorce, Harriet suffered a series of strokes that left her almost entirely paralysed. Berlioz supported and visited her until she passed away in 1854.

**A/N**: But of course, I have no intention of making Sylvia so conveniently run off with someone else :D I'm just too fascinated by the life and the music of Berlioz nowadays. Gosh, I thought my head would split in two from reading his memoirs in French :S and excuse my poor use of French, if it offends any of you exacting readers. ;) I really must pick it up again seriously... Are you going to say that I finished at the unsatisfactory place again...? This was the longest chapter I've ever written so no complaints! XD Muhahah


	10. Chapter 9

_He thinks of his loneliness;  
He hopes to be alone no longer… But suppose she deceives him!  
This mixture of hope and fear,  
These thoughts of happiness disturbed by dark forebodings  
Form the subject of the _adagio_.  
At the end, one of the shepherds again takes up the _ranz de vaches_;  
The other no longer answers…  
Sounds of distant thunder… solitude… silence…_

_-Excerpts from the Programme of _**Symphonie Fantastique**_ by H. Berlioz, Third Movement; In the Meadows._

* * *

**Chapter 9**

It seemed to her like they've been going for a while now, but Kuroki and others were nowhere in sight. Chiaki senpai was walking ahead of her at a brisk pace, pulling her arm quite painfully. Nodame simply let him drag her through the intricate corridors of the college without complaining, being quite helpless to do otherwise. He was prone to get rather physical when he was angry and knowing that, she wondered if senpai was really pissed off at her right now. What must he be thinking of her? To be here after all the rebuffs she had arrogantly thrown at him… Nodame herself felt a bit embarrassed, which happened _rarely_ in any circumstances, even if she was kidnapped by her supposedly well-meaning friends. She only hoped that senpai didn't find her too encroaching. The whole situation was uncomfortable enough for Nodame, so how much more distressing it would be for senpai, with his wedding not a month left…! Would she have to meet Sylvia-san again, she wondered. Oh, but she'd _die_ of heartache if she had to!

What did Tanya and Kuroki-kun mean by bringing her here? What good did they think this would do? If she could have had her own way, she'd have escaped from here a long time ago. No, in fact, she would never have been here in the first place; it was Tanya and Kuroki-kun's fault! Why did they have to meddle in things that did not concern them? She'd have been very glad to leave the things well as they were before. _Really._

Chiaki senpai was holding her wrist in such a strong grip that she began to wonder if senpai himself was aware of what he was doing. The closeness of his body had been enough to make her inside twist in nervousness and a secret excitement that she was trying very hard to suppress, but to have him actually in contact with her skin…! It was more than she could bear. His touch felt like a red-hot iron on her.

"Senpai…?"

She tried talking to him, a trifle breathless from the fast trotting. There was no reply.

"Senpai, I thought we were going back to the others…?"

He didn't answer her – indeed, he showed no indication at all that he even heard her – and kept on walking with no slackening in the pace.

Then he stopped abruptly; opened a door and thrust Nodame through it forcibly. She stumbled into a dimly lit large-ish room and flinched at the loud slamming of the door behind her. A vague sense of panic began to set in.

"Senpai, what…" she spoke in a shaky voice, but was soon silenced into astonishment at the sight that met her eyes in one quick glance around this place; an empty stage and rows of empty seats. They were in a concert hall! Nothing big or fancy, just a medium sized one, probably for the college use. But those little details did not trouble her in the least right now. Right now, what troubled her above all things was that she couldn't even guess what Chiaki senpai was thinking of and she waited tensely for him to say something.

He persistently dragged her down the low steps of the aisle until they reached the foot of the pit, where he finally let go of her hand. Nodame rubbed the wrist he'd been holding in a bear-grip reflexively, to ease the pain, and thought she'd have a ring of red mark around it by tomorrow. Wholly unconcerned, Chiaki briefly glared at her with his usual scowl, before jumping up to the stage in one lithe movement. He took his place in the centre; the place which belonged only and entirely to him. The place where podium usually sat on the stage. His eyes searched quietly until she looked up at him, holding her gaze steadily once she did.

And he asked, his voice looming in every corner of the auditorium; "Do you miss this?"

* * *

"Wow, so you guys are all musicians?" Sylvia asked in amazement.

"Uh-huh, Lucas and I are pianists, and my husband," Tanya declared proudly, "plays the oboe!"

"Really? How fascinating!" Sylvia cried. "Erm, what is an oboe?"

"You know!" exclaimed an indignant wife. "The woodwind instrument that looks a bit like clarinet, but played with a double reed instead of a single!"

But Sylvia only replied very vaguely with a distant look on her face; "Ah... Clarinet..."

"You do know what a clarinet is, right?" Tanya was trying to control her trembling voice. How could she _not_ know what an oboe is! She could almost agree with her husband now, that this chit of a girl marrying Chiaki was a joke. Fortunately for the smooth running of the whole affair, Lucas interrupted them.

"Who cares about the clarinet? You are making the charming lady _ennuyé_!" he cried, with more insight than he actually meant wittingly. "Besides, Nodame is still not here! And that _guy_ who went looking for her is MIA also. I _said_ I'd go, _mais non_... _he_ just had to be the boss... that _control freak!_"

"Enough grumbling, Lucas," said Kuroki sternly. He was lounging, rather in a leisurely manner, on the sofa and was not disturbed at all. He continued subtly, with a surreptitious smile spreading across his face: "Maybe Megumi-chan went somewhere really far far away and Chiaki cannot find her easily. When he does find her though, be assured that they'll be back together... So meanwhile, why don't you entertain the 'charming lady' yourself, hmm?"

Lucas' nose scrunched up in distaste once but he did turn to Sylvia immediately, like an obedient schoolboy. After all, he was a very well brought-up young man with excellent manners.

"_Hélas_, I am sorry,_ Mlle Sylvie._ We are only the poor _musiciens_, we know nothing else, we can talk about nothing else."

"Oh, no. I think it's wonderful," replied Sylvia and fell on the easiest and safest topic to talk about in London. "Isn't the weather so great today? We haven't had such good weather in ages! Makes you feel like going for a picnic."

"_Mais certainement_," agreed Lucas. "Maybe we could really find some time to go together later?"

"Would you like to? Yes, if the weather keeps fine, maybe we could."

With that as a starter, Lucas and Sylvia fell into a comfortable chatter. Sylvia found his strong French accent rather cute and wouldn't have minded getting to know him better. In fact, she was all agog to get to know these people better, for they were the enigmas her fiancé always refused to talk about; the link to his time in Paris. Shin was a rather private person, she knew that, but whenever she tried to make him tell her about his life in Paris, he always closed up and became more distant from her. She wanted to know what living, _actually living_, in the City of Romance would feel like but in Shin's mind, those years he spent there seemed to have vanished, rather than forgotten.

Not that she pressed for a story out of him. Although she was usually keen for all kinds of gossip and liked to _discuss_ about other people's life, she knew where to draw line. There was no point anyways in pestering Shin once he's closed up; he was worse than an immovable clam when that happened. Besides, Sylvia could almost guess what his life in Paris would have been like; work, work, and work! Even in London, he was always working on one thing or another. She had never seen anyone work harder in her life, her father included! Although that left her quite free to do _other_ things that she liked to do… She's never had such a convenient relationship with anyone before. Suddenly, she felt like giggling, thinking she was picturing her fiancé in the light of her… guardian.

"What are you laughing at, _Sylvie_?" asked Lucas.

"Oh, nothing," she brushed his enquiry dismissively. He merely shrugged and smiled. Lucas was such a handsome and pleasant boy. Whereas that Japanese man over there seemed quite stuffy and forbidding! Sylvia had a feeling that every time he looked at her, he was actually glaring at her sternly. This lively Russian woman's husband seemed inclined to dislike her from the very beginning and she had no clue as to _why_. She hadn't done anything to him, hell, they'd never even met before today! That acid comment about her age did not go unnoticed either, and she couldn't understand what the big deal was about her marrying someone 11 years older than her. If both parties were agreeable, who cares about the age difference nowadays? In fact, it was becoming quite popular in her circle. She was grateful that Shin wasn't so old-fashioned like him, but of course if he was, then she wouldn't even think of marrying him in the first place. Sylvia wondered abstractedly when Shin would be back and how far he's gone to find Nodame, that weird and funny girl she remembered from the Paris trip.

* * *

Meanwhile, Sylvia's fiancé stood tall on an empty stage, looking down at the face of his ex-girlfriend whom he wished to reclaim, somehow, anyhow. He opened his arm to indicate the stage in a dramatic emphasis.

"The loud echoes of enthusiastic applaud, people shouting 'Bravo', satisfaction of knowing that you have touched their hearts and accomplished something; don't you ever miss all that?" he asked calmly, but it was more a rhetorical question. He didn't an answer. It was written all over her face. He noticed it when Nodame was looking so lovingly at a strange girl practicing. Those were not the eyes of someone looking at something she hated, or even forgotten. On the contrary, he was sure he could detect certain longing in them, as well as the same passion she used to have when Nodame herself was a student. But Chiaki still wanted to hear her admitting it aloud, to him and also to herself. He needed her back by her own volition this time; both as his musical inspiration and as his better half.

Who knows, if Nodame hadn't met him, if she was left to do as she wished, she really might have become a nursery teacher like she'd always planned, albeit a scatterbrained and inept one. But she _did_ meet him and Chiaki _had_ interfered – more like seriously meddled – with her life big time. He had literally plucked her up from obscurity, while nobody even bothered to recognise and develop her prodigious talents. But he lavished his time on her; forced her to practice; gave her a dream to pursue. In short, he had formed her.

_You are mine._

He was responsible for her. Why hadn't he realised that before! When she left him, it was easier to act the part of a beartbroken man and wallow himself in self-pity than putting up a fight to stop her from leaving. But now that she was back, if Nodame thought she could slip through his long slender fingers that easily once again, she was greatly mistaken.

Chiaki continued to look deep into her eyes without wavering, waiting for an answer, a gesture – anything – but she looked too baffled by his unexpected actions. Something akin to regret flashed across her face for a split of second and Chiak's heart skipped a beat. What was that look supposed to mean?

"I don't know what you are talking about, senpai… Nodame was never the accomplished pianist that you make of me…" she replied and avoided looking at his candid eyes. Something finally snapped in Chiaki, and he expostulated heatedly.

"Don't you _dare_ turn away from me!" he cried. "I've _had_ my fill of snubbing coming from you! Now, missy, you look into my eyes and tell me to my face, if you can, that you never think about performing again on stage?!"

"Senpai is being absurd," said Nodame and sighed. That little sigh, a symbol of hopelessness on her part, irritated Chiaki more than her evasion of answering.

"That's not an answer! God, you are so annoying!" he exclaimed in frustration. Nodame could but watch him pacing the stage to and fro rather aggressively, tearing his hair at one point. Unwittingly, he had chosen to stand on the spot where Nodame always looked up to, in hope of joining him there one day. That day never came to be and even now, all she could do was only look up at him from below. The gulf between them was too large. She could not jump up to the stage so easily like senpai had.

"Senpai, why do you ask me this now, of all times? 8 years, senpai. Nodame hasn't even thought of playing the piano in seriousness for 8 years!"

"You can start thinking now," Chiaki stopped pacing and suggested hopefully.

"Mukya!" yelled Nodame. "What nonsense are you talking about, senpai? It's not that simple, like picking up a book you dropped to start reading again! You know it better than anyone else, so why do you torture Nodame with impossible hopes!?"

Was he torturing her? He saw a ray of hope there. If she felt strong enough to be tortured about this, then she couldn't be completely uninterested!

"But I've seen you play at the choir competition!"

"What?!" she cried, scowling.

"Yes, I went to see you playing at the competition in Paris," he continued pleadingly. "Nodame, your style has become more relaxed and somewhat matured as well! Your sound, that pure and beautiful sound, which still captivates the audience as ever! I saw you loving every moment of it. And you even paid attention to the conductor, which I must say was mind-blowing for me! See? It's not too late. You can do it still…!"

"I don't mean to say that I am ungrateful for your compliment," considerably mollified, Nodame blushed in unsustainable pleasure. It was a rare feat indeed to be complimented by the Mr Perfectionist so directly in any situations! "But Nodame can't play like she used to anymore. Nodame's fingers won't listen to Nodame. All that is in the past now…"

"Yours is not a talent that can be dismissed so easily with a snap of a finger!" he argued stubbornly. "We can make it happen in the present again. You know, like before…"

Seeing her eyes widen in surprise, Chiaki knew the moment had finally come and felt extremely uncomfortable, while his heart beat increased exponentially. But first, he got tired of looking down at Nodame so he came forward to the edge of the stage and crouched, getting closer and down to her eye-level. Chiaki inhaled deeply and resolutely.

"So come back. Let's fulfil our dreams together…"

_Together…!_ He's said it! And he was proud of himself for having uttered the words he actually meant to utter without embellishment and excuses, going round and round in circles! At the same time though, it was making him tremble in nervousness, fear, anguish and perhaps a small bit of hope. Chiaki had not experienced such strong mixture of emotions in a long time. How many years is it since he had felt anything more violent than a mere amusement or a little bafflement? Except for his music, his life had become so dry and he was becoming colder than the London weather. He simply couldn't function normally without Nodame. Now his entire being hung on her answer.

But Nodame merely stared straight into his eyes for an interminable time. Her face was blank at first then puckered slightly as if to burst into tears in any moment, immediately followed by a short intake of breath as she quickly caught on a sob. Before he could get off the stage and gather her in his arms impulsively, her face took on a blank expression again.

"Senpai," she spoke in a broken voice. "The time may be able to heal the old wounds, but it still cannot change the facts."

Chiaki gasped, the concentration of adrenaline in his blood reaching its peak.

"W, what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means," Nodame continued rather doggedly. "Nodame and senpai cannot go back to how we were before because… well, senpai, you are getting married to Sylvia-san."

"Ah, that…!" Chiaki laughed nervously.

"It'll be uncomfortable for you and Sylvia-san."

"But I'm going to-!"

"Senpai only wants Nodame to become a pianist again, without… getting involved," she sighed heavily and shook her head. "Senpai, Nodame cannot do it."

"But what I want is-!"

"No, no. Senpai, you need not say anymore."

It was more like she didn't want to hear anymore.

"Will you stop interrupting me?!" he screamed indignantly but instead of being cowed, Nodame glared at him obstinately, as if daring him to oppose her decision. He frowned back at her.

"You are not going to listen to anything I say today, are you?"

It was more of a statement than a question. Nodame's jaw stiffened in mulishness and nodded vigorously. Chiaki was the first to look away with a big sigh. He would just let her win for today. Obviously, she mistakenly thought he only wanted her back as a pianist, but he realised he had to tidy up his status with Sylvia first, if he was to propose anything further to Nodame with a clean conscience. Kuroki was right, again – that annoying old bugger! If Chiaki had not met Nodame again and somehow ended up marrying Sylvia, then the marriage might have worked for a few years. He'd have been blind enough to try his best to make it work; his perfectionist personality wouldn't have forgiven a failed marriage. But Nodame did reappear in his life, so providentially at such a critical point, and opened his eyes. Also, although Sylvia could not be Nodame, she still deserved more than a marriage begotten out of duty and an unloving husband.

"Fine," he said and ruffled his hair. "At least I've said what I wanted to say, so I'll leave you to sleep on it."

"Nodame doesn't need-"

"Don't be so confident," he cut her off hastily. "You never know what's going to happen in the future. You really never know..."

She cocked her head to one side and threw him mystified look. Chiaki's shoulders shook lightly as he chuckled and he extended his hand.

"Let's _really_ go back to the others, this time."

Nodame looked suspiciously at his hand for a moment but did not refuse it completely. Chiaki came down from the stage, with her hand firmly placed in his, and walked towards the exit more slowly this time. He knew she was not totally indifferent to him. He knew her every gesture, every expression on her face, twinkles in her eyes. And they all told him that Nodame was as much affected by this meeting as he was. If he could rekindle the blaze that once burned for his sake, then let the consequences be damned, Chiaki was determined to be patient and unshakable.

* * *

When Chiaki and Nodame came back to the foyer, still hand in hand, Sylvia was chatting in easy friendliness with Lucas. Her shrewd eyes did not miss the way her fiancé's hand had fastened around Nodame's wrist in an unashamed – almost defiant – manner, but she was not a jealous nagging wife yet, and opted to say nothing in the public. As soon as Lucas saw them coming, he flew to greet Nodame with exaggerated eagerness and snatched her hand from its prisoner harshly.

"Nodame, where have you been?" he said. "We were so worried about you."

"Really, Lucas," she replied. "There was no need."

"No, he's right," Chiaki interrupted authoritatively. "You shouldn't wander off alone like that."

Lucas glared at him for a second before turning back to Nodame all smiling. He gently led her towards the rest of the group and Sylvia got up from the sofa.

"Nodame, we meet again," she said. Her smile was slightly constrained.

"Sylvia," Nodame tried to smile back at her, quite uncharacteristically failing to do so. "How are you?"

"Couldn't be better," she replied, employing pointed malice instinctively, "although I'm so busy with wedding preparation and things like that."

"Ah... Is that right?" Nodame averted her eyes from Sylvia. She was so young and beautiful; Nodame was not surprised Chiaki wanted to marry her. Such a sophisticated and elegant lady she never was and could never dream to be. Although the fact that she didn't enjoy classical music was a hitch, Nodame was sure she would come to love Chiaki senpai's music eventually. _I mean, who could stand to not fall in love with it?_ She wanted to wish them happy but frankly, she was too jealous.

"You had better make sure you don't place any breakable things in the house; Chiaki senpai has a rather violent streak in him."

"Huh?"

"Also, he starts to sing weird librettos when he's drunk so get a lot of ear plugs."

"Erm, OK..."

"But worst of all, his friend once labeled him a 'closet pervert,' so be careful and don't let him-"

"Enough, you _hentai_!" Chiaki expostulated, his face turning fiery red. "If you are done with tearing my character to shreds, your friends would like to go for lunch!"

Nodame stuck her tongue out at him.

"So are you coming with us?" Kuroki asked pleasantly.

"Ah, no… I can't. I have a meeting with the college admin. Leave me your address in London, I'll send you the tickets for tomorrow's concert."

"Oh, are you guys coming as well?" said Sylvia. "But Shin, weren't the tickets sold out?"

"Not to worry," he waved his hand about. "I'll take care of that."

"But how?"

"I said not to worry," Chiaki refused to say anything else. Of course, he knew it wasn't easy – easy? Rather impossible, at this point of time! But he _was_ the principal conductor nonetheless. He rarely took advantage of the privileges but he was willing to do anything if it meant he could get Nodame to come to his concert.

"I hear you are playing Berlioz," Lucas spoke up. "Are you sure you can handle him?"

His tone was closer to offensiveness than sarcasm. Chiaki had nearly forgotten that he was even there! He turned to Lucas sharply, his left eyebrow twitching dangerously.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Well, you know. Not everyone can conduct Berlioz to satisfaction. His symphonies are _extremely difficult_."

"Are you implying that I am not up to his level?" he retorted icily.

"_Ah_ _bah, peut- être_," said Lucas, still smiling.

"Lucas," Nodame interpolated sternly and excited some surprise among the party, after all the cheekiness displayed by her just now. "You know Chiaki senpai is a very talented conductor and he's had more than 10 years experience already. Stop being mean to him."

An uncalled for warmth spread inside Chiaki instantly. He was just too happy that she was standing up for him so openly, he could almost forgive - no, rejoice - in Lucas' spitefulness. Sylvia stared at his silly little smile.

"_N'importe quoi_," Lucas shrugged his shoulders gracefully.

"Right then!" Tanya interrupted tactfully. "Shall we make a move? I am positively starving!"

"Yes, let's go. Nodame is hungry too. Can we try this famous English Fish and Chips today? Nodame has heard so much about it!"

Chiaki cringed and murmured; "Rubbish food…"

"Well, I'm sorry but not everyone can eat gourmet food every day like you, senpai," Nodame retorted perkily. Valiantly stopping himself before he could smack that offending head of hers, Chiaki said goodbye to the group and watched her back getting smaller. He was hoping Sylvia would take off as well but by some evil genius, she stayed firmly at his side.

"I think your friend doesn't like me," said Sylvia darkly.

"What? Which one?" Chiaki exclaimed guiltily. Well, what's the point of asking? He knew that none of his friends really liked Sylvia.

"You know, that gloomy guy, Yasunori… What a name," she grumbled.

Chiaki, who also had a bone to pick with him - kind of - laughed to himself rather gleefully at hearing Kuroki described as a 'gloomy guy'. _Serves him right_, he thought.

"I've had a great idea!" cried Sylvia. "Why don't we invite all of them to a dinner?"

"Dinner?"

"Yes, I should spend more time with them if I am to get to know them better."

"Well…" he wasn't too eager to put Sylvia and Nodame in one place any more than was necessary, but Sylvia didn't pay much attention to his reluctance.

"Yes, yes, yes. We can go to the Ritz!"

"The Ritz!" exclaimed Chiaki. "But why there?"

"What's wrong with the Ritz, you don't like it?"

"It's too… fancy," he said.

"Exactly! I want to play the gracious hostess to your friends at a fancy restaurant! Wouldn't that be so fun?" Sylvia beamed at him.

"It's all a game to you, isn't it…?" Chiaki sighed.

"Huh?"

"No, nevermind…"

Smiling, Sylvia linked her arm with his, pressing him to her possessively and Chiaki was almost repulsed by the intimate body contact. _What a brute I am!_ he thought. But she wasn't wont to be clingy when they were walking together and he wondered if even Sylvia had sensed something unconsciously. He sighed and racked his brain to think of the right way to tell her how things stood with him, but that was the hardest knot to untangle in this huge mess. How do you tell your affianced wife that you don't love her, never had, and so don't wish to marry her anymore?

* * *

**A/N**: -a BIG sigh- Whoa, I'm so sorry this came out so late! That is, if anyone has been waiting at all.. (hehe) It was all Sylvia's fault. Blame her XD I wish she'd just disappear (and I'm not the only one wishing, apparently!) It was hard writing this chapter cuz I was very happy with my last chapter (hehe) and wanted to keep it at the similar tone. But, so hard... :( The things I could have done if Sylvia Haworth didn't exist in this fic... (haha)

Thanks for all your reviews and interest, I hope this chapter was not too dragging -sigh- **gina**, I'm quite glad you have a lot of work to do cuz I'm already cowed by your MORE MORE screaming... XD sorry this took too long. thanks for the review! ;)


	11. Chapter 10

_Baton lifts: then the silence is breached.  
_

_**-Symphony**_, Jude Morgan

* * *

**Chapter 10**

"Congratulation, Mr Chiaki!"

One of his cellists greeted him with a big smile.

"No, well done you, Mike," he replied back lightly, shaking Mike's proffered hand. Just then, someone he didn't recognise exclaimed from nearby.

"It was a marvellous performance tonight!"

"Indeed, I can't remember the last time I so moved as tonight," agreed another of the guests.

"Especially the Berlioz piece …"

"Yes, I've never heard anything quite like it! Don't you think it was very interesting?"

"Very, although I must say I found it quite strange as well."

"It could have been stranger but I think Chiaki's interpretation was nothing less than top-notch!"

Murmurs of assent went around the group and they fell into an enthusiastic discussion on the composer and the performance by the young Japanese conductor tonight.

"The audience seems to have loved it too!" Mike winked at his boss.

"If they did, then it's all thanks to my amazing musicians," he informed Mike with sincerity. They have truly been great tonight. A dispassionate bystander might say it is only to be expected from the best of the musicians, who formed the principal members in one of world's most prestigious orchestra, but Chiaki remembered only too well how those very musicians were baffled, to put it bluntly, when they first received the scores.

When Lucas taunted him earlier about how difficult Berlioz's pieces are, he wasn't making things up. His music sounded unique and different when played; it looked downright impossible on the paper. Berlioz liked to jump from one place to another when least expected, did not keep to just one subject at a time and came up with startling new ideas. But of course, Chiaki was not to be defeated by a musical puzzle, but rather, he was so challenged that he threw his heart in preparing for the Symphonie Fantastique especially. And when everyone's grasped the delicate timing and melodies, he could really appreciate the passion and imaginativeness of the genius composer.

This was the piece written by a 23 year-old young man with only a few years of formal training in music. True, Berlioz was criticised and shunned by the Parisian audience and the Paris Conservatoire because of the uniqueness of his music which refused to follow the rules and generally accepted forms. But to Chiaki it felt more like his imagination and genius as an artist was too overflowing that they couldn't be contained by the mere stricture of conventions. Come to think of it, he reminded Chiaki a little bit of Nodame. Yes, she was weird and hentai and all the other things that he only knew too well, but she also had that raw talent and, most importantly, an ability to touch the hearts of everyone who listens to her music that was almost addictive, even without being very conventional. Maybe that's why he had been so attracted to Berlioz in the first place. _Ah well_, he sighed, _I seemed to be weak to those types of people._

His eyes roamed the party hall in an agitated manner. Mike had already gone over to talk to his family and friends, who were also attending the after-concert reception, and Chiaki had since then greeted and shook hands with a number of people congratulating him for the night's success, but the one he was anxious to meet was nowhere to be seen, as usual. She was very evasive these days, he thought irritably.

Although he greatly admired the intense passion of the composer, Chiaki was no Berlioz and he couldn't abstractedly wonder around the streets of… London in his case instead of Paris, not knowing his destiny or purpose in life, like Berlioz had done when he had first fallen in love with Harriet. He would rather _die_ before he wrote a passionate love letter to Nodame declaring his undying love and how much he adored her. No, he shuddered just from thinking about it. It was an already established _fact_ that Chiaki was not very demonstrative in appearance. But one thing he could do, he could express himself through the music he created. He wanted to show her that he was the same Chiaki Shinichi she had known and loved all those years ago. That his music still sang with the same heart and mind. After all, it was the presentation of Symphonie Fantastique, conducted by the composer himself, that conquered the heart of icy cold actress which mere words of sweet nothing failed to do for years.

Chiaki snatched a glass of wine from a passing-by waiter and drained it to calm his jumpy nerves. Then an acquaintance approached him with another glass and exclaimed exuberantly.

"Hang it, Chiaki, it was an outstanding playing!"

"Thank you, sir," he replied distractedly, accepting the wine and shaking his hand.

"I absolutely must tell you how much I enjoyed it. It's a pity my wife couldn't make it tonight, though."

"I really, _really_ appreciate your compliment, Mr Lone," Chiaki smiled apologetically. "But I was on my way to look for someone, so if you'll excuse me…"

"Oh!" the man didn't look offended, but quite the reverse, as his eyes twinkled wickedly. "You're looking for your lady friend?"

Chiaki snapped back into attention.

"I beg your pardon?" he asked, his voice more on the hostile side, but it apparently didn't get through. His companion only sniggered.

"If it is Miss Haworth you are looking for, I've just seen her hanging on the arm of a handsome young man over there," he pointed behind him. "You'd better tie the knot quickly if you want to keep her to yourself! You never know what could ignite between two hot young people."

"Ah," Chiaki looked away uncomfortably and walked off. "Excuse me."

_Damn the old sod!_ Chiaki didn't mean any disrespect but he really couldn't stand people who acted all too familiar on a mere acquaintance and pried into his privacy. Chiaki, who had been living in Europe longer than all the years he lived in Japan put together, turned all Japanese at times like this – reserved and aloof. He had often wondered how women in this country could gossip about the most intimate things that made him blush so loudly in public places. Not that the men were any better. But if Chiaki was not so disgusted and asked Lone to describe who Sylvia was with, then he'd have found out that the handsome young man he was referring to was actually Lucas. Kuroki was with them as well and they could have easily told him where Nodame was. Unfortunately, he just wanted to get away from the old man, so he was destined to wander around further into the hall.

The few minutes before the concert tonight was the most nerve-wrecking time Chiaki had ever had in a long time. It was natural to be nervous before a concert even with the years of experience on his shoulders, but tonight, he'd had a special guest to whom his music meant a lot. When he finally stepped out onto the stage his eyes flickered towards the audience momentarily. He thought he saw Nodame sitting there, in between Tanya and Sylvia but he couldn't be sure. It was too dark. Anyways, that was not the problem at hand. He was just about to perform and that was all he needed to worry. He would make it a success, for himself as much as for Nodame. He stepped up to the podium and set out to woo Nodame with his music, the only weapon he possessed.

"Shin!" cried the high-pitched voice of Sylvia and brought Chiaki out of his reverie. He had gone round the hall inadvertently and managed to come smash up to the group of his friends and fiancée. Now he saw that Lucas was the unfortunate young man Sylvia was hanging onto. He watched the two of them without any feelings. Lucas looked hot and like he wanted to shake her hand away, only held by his good manners. Sylvia was not used to rejections from men and could not even imagine that Lucas might be uncomfortable with her informal attentions. She just liked having men around her.

"Congratulation, Chiaki-kun," said Kuroki amiably. "That was a wonderful concert tonight, as ever. It's been so long since I saw you conduct, that it sort of made me nostalgic as well."

A sudden thought hit Chiaki and he asked briskly: "Do you want to join my orchestra?"

"_Haa?_"

"Yes, why didn't I think of this before?" he went on, ignoring Kuroki's discomfiture. "Come! I'd love to perform with you again."

Kuroki coughed.

"Well, I'm quite settled in Paris and…"

"Who cares? Great musicians always move about anyways."

"Is Ya.su.no.ri a great musician?" asked Sylvia, pronouncing his name syllable by syllable.

"One of the best!" said Chiaki. "I'd rather have you as my oboe section leader than anyone else, Kuroki."

"Hmm," Sylvia turned to Lucas and asked, "are you a great musician too?"

"_Bien s__û__r!_" he cried in answer. Not all of his dislike of Sylvia added up together could stop him from puffing off his own consequence. "I passed the Conservatoire entrance exam at 13 and was winning the international competitions when I was only 16!"

"Oh, wow," Sylvia was genuinely impressed. "Can you play something for me then?"

"What, now?" Lucas frowned.

"Yeah, why not?"

"But there's not piano."

"There is," Sylvia pointed at a corner. "See, over there!"

Lucas saw that there was indeed a piano in the dark corner of the reception hall and put his nose up in an affronted manner.

"Don't you know that music during dinner is a double insult, to _musicien_ and _chef_? I don't play while people talk and drink."

"But-,"

Chiaki's had enough of uninteresting conversation from the two of them, and interrupted hastily.

"He's right, don't nag at him Sylvia. Where," he asked, trying to sound as natural as possible, "is Nodame, by the way?"

"Oh!" Sylvia clapped her hands. "She is in the ladies'."

"Ah," he said, "I see…"

"Because she cried too much," she continued.

"Cried…?"

Sylvia nodded.

"From the very beginning til the end of your concert, tears poured down continuously! I've never seen anyone cry so much, she just couldn't stop crying. So strange, isn't it? Why would she cry during a concert?"

"She… cried?"

Chiaki's hands shook a little.

"Yes," Kuroki pressed his arm gently. "It was a beautiful performance, Chiaki-kun."

He let out a nervous laugh.

"She cried…"

Sylvia stared at Chiaki's unfocused and misty eyes meaningfully as he stupidly repeated the same thing over and over again.

"Maybe, I should go and check on her, I mean, she might get lost again, and-," he spoke incoherently but Kuroki stopped him.

"Don't worry, Tanya is with her. It's been some time now so they'll be back in any moment. Oh," he said and pointed behind Chiaki. "Look, they are back."

Nervously and expectantly, Chiaki turned around and stood face to face with Nodame. She couldn't have looked more adorable than now, with her red puffy eyes and red nose! He inched a step closer and waited for a direct verdict from her. She half opened her mouth as if to say something, and Chiaki nearly stopped breathing. Nothing came out. His hands were balmy now. The people and noise around him slowly faded into another dimension and he could only hear his own heart beating madly. Anything, if she could just give him _something_ to end this torture!

Then a look; a direct look that didn't avoid him anymore. And a small smile.

While they were lost in each others' intense gaze, a thousand of silent conversations passed between them. He needed no more for now.

* * *

The following few days were surprisingly – and very annoyingly – hectic for Chiaki. Right after the concert, Ed, his long-suffering personal assistant, had unfeelingly dumped a big pile of college-related work he'd been neglecting so far on his desk with a straight face and told him this _could_ not wait any longer. Of course, Chiaki was not one to leave any work undone before the deadline but he's had it up to its brim in his life lately. Most of his waking hours had been occupied with the full rehearsals for the concert, not to mention the sweet _distraction_ that haunted him in his waking and dreaming hours. All thanks to his unnecessarily excellent PA remembering that he had to mark the symphony compositions of twenty or so students who were graduating this year, Chiaki hadn't been allowed any time to spare a thought of getting some decent hours of sleep, much less of Nodame, and Sylvia, and what miracle it would take to rescue him from this one big mess he'd landed himself in.

Grumbling with a reason, he opened the thirteenth submission of the course works and growled in agony. _Not another C minor!_ What was up with these kids and C minor? Have they all suddenly become ardent followers of the Hero Beethoven? As much as Chiaki loved Beethoven and his works in the 'special key', there was so much powerful and emotional storms he could take in three consecutive days! He did not know if he was angry at the unknowing students or if it was something entirely different.

_Fine, I admit it,_ he thought, throwing his pencil aside irritably. _The whole situation is my fault. I messed up._ Yet, even admitting it did nothing to make his heart feel lighter. _Alright, maybe I shouldn't have been reckless enough to get engaged in the first place. Maybe I should have realised my own feelings earlier. Maybe I should have _never_ let Nodame leave me in the first place. Maybe I shouldn't have gone on the cursed performing tour back then. Maybe…! _Oh, he could go on and on with the 'maybe' list. _Yes,_ he glumly admitted, _the famous Mr Perfectionist, Chiaki Shinichi with the long _long_ list of failings when it concerns _her. But he was a human, too. Of course he made mistakes! Perfect beings did not exist in this world, only those who struggled to be one. _I'd do anything to remedy the past mistakes!_

Suddenly, someone buzzed the doorbell and he wondered who could be visiting him at this late hour of the night. To his greatest astonishment, and not a little annoyance, he opened his flat door to see Sylvia smiling up at him brightly.

"Surprise!" she cried loudly.

"What are you doing here?"

"You don't have to sound so gruffly, darling. I know you don't like it when someone barges into your flat uninvited, but surely, you don't count me as just 'someone'?"

"But I'm working right now."

He didn't bother to hide his irritation.

"Oh, you are always working," she said pleasantly and pushed her way in past Chiaki, not in the least daunted. "If I don't intrude myself on you like this, I'll never see your face before the wedding!"

Sylvia found her own joke quite witty and giggled. Chiaki's lips pursed in a straight line at the mention of wedding and shut the front door in resignation.

"But I really am working. I don't have much time to spare you."

"It doesn't matter. I'll wait for you to finish," she said airily, already digging her heels in his beautiful Persian carpet in the sitting room obstinately. There was no getting rid of her, short of chucking her out of the flat physically. He wouldn't have hesitated even for a second if it had been Nodame, but obviously he could act so unhibitedly only because it was Nodame. Sylvia took to wandering around his house, pretending to look at his books and pictures, and Chiaki uncomfortably went back to sit at the piano with a beautifully handwritten music score in hand. But the work couldn't have been further from his present state of mind.

Should he tell her now or not?!

But he still had no plan in mind. _All thanks to my hardworking PA!_ He stared at the music ahead of him without actually seeing it, bit his pencil between his lips mechanically and played some random harmonies.

How to tell her? _What_ to tell her?

So immersed in his own thought, Chiaki didn't notice Sylvia creeping up behind him. She stroked his shoulders softly and said, "I didn't know that a man playing piano could look so sexy," which sent a shudder down his spine. He made a choking noise and took the pencil out of his mouth.

"W, what…?!"

"I said," she spoke a little louder but was interrupted.

"Yes, yes, I heard what you said. But this isn't the first time you've seen me playing, is it?"

"No, silly, I don't mean _you_," Sylvia laughed. "I meant Lucas! Did you know he was a pianist? Of course you did. Your friends are all musicians."

If she was trying to wind him up, then she failed miserably. Chiaki was not disappointed but rather relieved. Lucas must have given in to Sylvia's whining in the end, then.

"He is not my friend," he said.

"No? Why? Because he's too _young_?" Sylvia asked bitterly, still smarting from the way Kuroki had slighted her. Chiaki turned around on the stool to face her and sighed heavily.

"No, he's just not my friend, but more _their_ friend. I'm not from the Paris Conservatoire, you know."

"Yes…" she replied. "Seems like they were all in the same school."

He merely hummed as an answer and turned back to the piano, thinking the timing was way off tonight. It was too spontaneous and impulsive. He had to show Sylvia that his… decision to call off the engagement did not spring from spontaneity and impulse – far from it, he went through such an excruciating torture to arrive at this conclusion! He had to make Sylvia understand that as well. No way he could just tell her so casually, now. But she didn't leave him in peace.

"So, Nodame's a musician too," she said.

Chiaki felt his heart plummeting to his stomach.

"Yes, why do you ask?" now his voice was becoming shaky.

"Oh, just… you know."

He _didn't_ know but Sylvia was silent for a long time. Her gaze seemed to bore into his back as he pretended to play the composition on the piano, but his reluctance to turn around and face her was brought up short when she suddenly decided to be frank and straightforward.

"Shin, is Nodame your ex-girlfriend?"

Chiaki's fingers stumbled on the piano keys and with a loud _doki_ echoing in his heart, he stammered terribly out of pure shock.

"Wha…! Erm, _no!_ I mean, why-,"

My God, what was he saying?!

"Oh, please," she replied, crossing her arms. "Don't give me that. I wasn't born yesterday, you know."

True. Sylvia wasn't that stupid. On the contrary, she had received best education the country had to offer, which money could provide. Only, nobody had taught her how to apply what she learned to real life. Neither was she empty-headed, for her head was actually full of what she thought important, such as clothes and having fun. She was just a very spoilt 'poor rich girl' who had different priorities in life.

"Just tell me the truth," she continued frankly. "I'm not so prudish that I'd become all severe and offended on my man's exes. Were you shagging her?"

Now Chiaki blushed furiously in extreme embarrassment.

"Sh, shag…! Sylvia!"

"Oh, so you were."

"What? No!"

"Hey, why are you denying it so violent? I have nothing against you shagging your ex. Besides, it's not like you were my first either…"

"Sylvia, please!" Chiaki implored desperately. "Can you not talk about such things o casually?"

"Why?"

"Because!"

"What's wrong with talking about shagging with the person I'm going to marry?"

_Because you are not going to marry that person?!_ Chiaki longed to shout it out at her face right now, right here. But no… He needed to handle the whole situation with delicacy. It was his fault that Sylvia was embroiled in such a farrago, and whatever her fault was, she didn't deserve to be hurt or humiliated. And once Nodame's name had surfaced, Chiaki was determined to not say at all yet. He didn't want Sylvia to think it was all because of Nodame and end up blaming her with that fiery and selfish personality. So he said, ominously, instead; "A lady shouldn't talk like that..."

"A lady!" Sylvia expostulated. "Gosh, Shin, just which period are you from, Stone Age? Don't be so stuffy all of sudden yourself. You've been acting so strange since the Paris trip."

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry," exhausted, he didn't have any energy to argue with her and Chiaki thought it was time to humour her. "It's just that I'm very busy right now with the work, so I think it's better if we meet again later."

"But why are you so busy?" she whinged. "Your concert is over! You never play with me nowadays…"

"Sylvia," Chiaki pressed his nose-bridge with his fingers, sighing. "We are not at the playground anymore. You and I are not nursery children but adults. Why don't you stop playing around yourself and do something productive with your time for a change?"

Her face was a study as it blenched as white as paper and turned fiery red. Nobody has ever spoken to her in _that_ tone before!

"How dare you!?" she screeched. "How dare you, how dare you, how _dare_ you?!"

"Sylvia, calm down," he spoke firmly in surprise, but she was screaming and stamping in frenzy by now.

"How _could_ you say that? Are you telling me that my life is not productive at all? That it has no meaning? I do what I want with my life, and that's the productive way for me! Shin, I never knew you were such a cold-hearted, cruel bastard! How could you be so mean to me!? If you think my life is so pointless, maybe I should just jump off from the window and end it!"

This was getting ridiculous. Shinichi held her shoulders in a firm grip and shook her.

"Now, stop it," he said. "You are working yourself into a hysteric and this is not going to endear you any further to me."

"You are so cruel," she choked on a sob and Chiaki was horrified to see a tear rolling down Sylvia's cheek. Oh God, this was getting out of his hand and he made a woman cry again…! The road to being a gentleman was harsh and hard. He sighed painfully.

"Hush, now. I'm sorry."

He let her lean on his arm and cry a little more. She snuggled up to him and whispered, in between hiccups, "maybe I should break up with you as your punishment… but I won't. So be eternally sorry and grateful, you silly man!"

_Oh, no... Lord, don't do this to me!_ thought Chiaki desperately.

* * *

"Now, stop complaining."

"But director," whined a fresh-faced student from the first row. "Don't _you_ need some break as well? You look like you could use some sleep!"

"That's my problem," Chiaki reprimanded him severely, "and _your_ problem is that your end-of-term recital is coming up soon."

Many faces fell at the mention of recital and Chiaki softened.

"Today's meeting is just for the briefing and announcing the chosen pieces. But," he raised his voice among the Hurrays of excited students. "Make sure you study them before the next meeting! You'll be expected to have a full rehearsal in a week's time, OK?"

The copies of music having been distributed and the next practice time decided, the orchestra members of RCM were dismissed. Chiaki sighed quietly and slipped his blackberry back into his pocket. He wished he could take Pete's words at face value and run home to sleep off the building fatigue, but there was just so much work which demanded his attention that Chiaki was actually becoming disconcerted. When would he ever find time to sort his life out?! With the recent news article of an extremely dedicated 6th formers teacher who passed away from overworking lurking in his mind, he wished he'd somehow survive these few days. Then someone called him from behind.

"You have a guest, director!"

Now, what?

* * *

**A/N**: What indeed! A new chapter already? XD Oh, yes, just tell me how much you love me (sniggers) But really, the weather on Sunday was just so divine and it made me happy with my life again (?) that I was greatly inspired to write this as quickly as possible. A good writer shouldn't allow every little things to influence his/her writing but, ah well. Unless you live in this cold, gloomy, depressing and rainy city, you won't understand this glorious feeling you get at actually seeing the Sun in the sky...

I'm not intentionally torturing Chiaki (as well as my readers!) by really dragging this out ;) No, really :D Chiaki is in such a mess already that dropping Sylvia and going back to Nodame as if nothing had happened would just create another big mess. Like Lilium said, he needs to sort things out properly instead of glossing it over, but even our genius is finding himself at a standstill with the childish, obstinate, annoying Sylvia... XD And she is too selfish to realise other people's feelings. I guess the next chapter would be the climax.. (evil laugh) so stay tuned! ;)


	12. Chapter 11

_It was, if you like, seduction,  
__If the essence of seduction is that__  
__You are not aware of being seduced,__  
__But think you are doing __  
__Just what you want to do._

**-_Symphony_, **Jude Morgan

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Chiaki stood looking at the face of the person he wished to see the most and also wanted to avoid the most these few days.

"Nodame!" he cried at her smiling face.

Oh no, but he was not ready to face her yet! His complicated relationship with Sylvia had not been taken care of, he was not in a position to treat Nodame in a way he wanted to treat her and in short, nothing was ready _yet_! But she was smiling up at him. Chiaki felt utterly helpless in front of that unaffected shy smile.

"Senpai," she said, with a little bow. "Nodame came to see senpai rehearsing, but you don't have a practice today?"

"No, er, well, are you, I mean," he faltered, to his greatest annoyance. "Did you come alone?"

"_Hai_," Nodame replied lightly and held her hands together behind her. She bowed her head in an unusual fit of shyness that seemed to have overcome her and swung her body to and fro like a young schoolgirl. "Nodame didn't get a chance to congratulate senpai properly for your success with the concert last week so…"

Chiaki cocked his head to get a peek at her face and saw that she was blushing while her lips quivered a little. It took all his self-discipline and sanity to stop his hand from caressing her fiery red cheek!

"I wanted to hear your music a bit more… but…" she put her head up uncertainly. "It seems like you don't have any more rehearsals…" Nodame hesitated for a moment before hastily turning away. "Maybe I should just leave."

"No, wait!"

With a great presence of mind, he held her arm quite firmly and stopped her. She turned around with hopeful questioning eyes at him and Chiaki was unnerved into releasing her immediately.

"Ah…" he murmured. "You don't have to go so soon…"

Nodame clutched her bag in front of her and a small smile danced around her mouth in pleasure. That was the second time she looked ethereally adorable in his eyes recently! He must be going mad…

"I, erm, don't have any more orchestra rehearsals until next week… but why don't we go for tea or something?" he asked gently.

"No," she said. Chiaki's heart gave a loud thump and he gasped. Seeing the instant shock that spread across his face, Nodame felt a guilty satisfaction but hurriedly reassured him: "Let's go for lunch instead. Nodame is starving!"

Chiaki let out his breath which he didn't even know he'd been holding until now, in a long sigh and felt that little throbbing disappear from his heart. He frowned at how his mood jumpily fluctuated between its polar ends at a single word from Nodame; this inexplicable madness, oh God, he was in _love!_

"Of course, I'd…!" he started eagerly but had to stop, his voice being too thick with emotions. He coughed rather consciously. "You haven't had lunch yet? It's already past two."

Nodame looked away and only laughed in uncomfortable embarrassment. She couldn't tell him she'd spent better part of the earlier day walking in and out of her hotel room, as she changed her mind from 'for' to 'against' coming to see him, by the minute. Instead she said, animatedly, "Nodame saw a nice looking restaurant on the way here that she wanted to try, if senpai doesn't mind…?"

"No, forget the restaurant," said Chiaki, as he was suddenly inspired with a brilliant idea. It was Nodame's turn to look bewildered.

"Eh…?"

"I mean, won't you like to come to my flat? I could cook something (_anything!_) you like in a trice."

"Come to your flat…?!" Nodame's eyes widened in surprise and she blushed furiously. Was he asking her to…?

"No! I mean-," Chiaki blushed as well in answer. _This idiot, what's she thinking, why is she blushing?!_ "Well, it's no more than 20 minutes' drive from the college and I haven't eaten anything yet either," he'd lost his appetite. "It's no trouble cooking for you at all, you know, and I thought, maybe, we could be more comfortable in my house… Or not," he added reluctantly and sighed. "For old times' sake?"

Did he have to _beg_ her to let him cook for her now? That idiotic hentai, who used to drool at the sight of him, has risen in her station indeed! Slowly, Nodame grinned at his suggestion.

"If there was one thing Nodame really, honestly missed, it was senpai's cooking," she said.

"I can believe it," he retorted in relief with a chuckle.

* * *

After 20 minutes of rather silent drive, Chiaki brought Nodame to the door of his flat.

"Mukya!" she screamed at the first sight of it. "Senpai, you are still living in such luxury! Super Rich Deluxe! Spoilt _bocchama!_"

She had already screamed much the same thing when she saw his BMW parked outside the college and Chiaki scratched his head. He chose to live in this area because it was quiet and an easy distance from his workplaces, but he couldn't deny that the rent was rather dear. But as for his flat! Two white pillars stood on either side of the front doorstep, shouldering an elaborately decorated terrace on top. Carefully arranged flower pots on the widow sills; beautifully built and cleanly maintained beige and white brick-building; the cosy little reception area once you enter the building; a uniformed porter sitting at a desk with several CCTVs. It _was_ an exclusive and posh place!

"Welcome back, Mr Chiaki!" the porter cried in surprise. "You are back early today."

"Hey, Al," Chiaki replied in a friendly tone but steered Nodame quickly towards the lift as Al threw probing looks in her direction. Totally ignoring his praiseworthy effort to hide her with his body, Nodame bent forward and smiled broadly.

"Hello, nice to meet you," she said, waving a hand.

Fortunately, the lifted arrived just then and Chiaki unceremoniously thrust her into it.

"Ah, _taku_, couldn't you just keep quiet, _kono_ _baka_!" barked Chiaki, once the door closed on them, and pressed 2.

"Eh? But why?" she asked innocently and he was bereft of any words. There was no valid reason, of course, except Al was probably burning with curiosity at the moment as to the identity of his new _chère-amie!_

"What's the matter, senpai?"

Chiaki only groaned in answer.

It was rare enough that the quiet conductor should bring someone back home with him, almost non-existent for it to turn out to be a lady. Al could even count the number of times his beautiful fiancée had visited with one hand! This was more than enough food for some unsavoury speculation, to a bored porter who had nothing better to do than sit at the desk stare at the CCTVs.

When Chiaki finally got her in his house, Nodame cried a slow "whoa!" and flitted inside to further explore.

"Your place is so nice, senpai!" she exclaimed.

"Thanks," he said, blushing.

Firstly, Nodame noticed the tall and neatly organised bookcase, which was tightly filled with books of music scores and manuscripts. There was a smaller chest standing next to it, its long shelves lined with various CDs and records.

"_Fuoh_, senpai!" she cried. "Your collection has increased _so much!_"

Nodame pulled out a random score and opened it. She saw Chiaki senpai's writings and pencil marks everywhere and ran her hand over them lovingly.

"It has been many years," replied Chiaki and stood next to her, leaning against the bookcase in an easy and comfortable manner. Smiling up to him, Nodame turned a few leaves and suddenly, she exclaimed.

"_Gyabo_, senpai! What is this?!"

Chiaki bent over slightly, his head nearly touching her forehead, to see what had made Nodame scream in incense, and saw that she was looking at a leaf sellotaped after being torn diagonally across the page. He chuckled and closed the book to check the cover. He was now standing with his shoulder in contact with hers and both tried to ignore the heartbeats that were hammering in their ears.

"Oh, I knew it," he managed to say in rather a level tone, "It's Beethoven Five. I was so frustrated with it one night and tore the page while I was rubbing out the pencil marks too hard. Ah, the agonies and sleepless nights I suffered because of this piece… My heart broke too, though, when I tore it."

He smiled reminiscently. Nodame felt her heart squeeze for no reason. Chiaki took the book out of her hand and put it back into the shelf.

"_All_ of these," he continued, with pride, "Are the proof and products of my hard-work and love and devotion for classical music. They may not come to much in money, but to me, they are as precious as a king's ransom…"

His voice seemed to thicken towards the end and Nodame also felt a lump in her throat. They stood side-by-side quietly for some time in an easy companionship. While seemingly lost in thought, Chiaki's hand was actually itching to grab the long-fingered hand that could create magical melodies on the piano and was now hanging loosely next to his. He felt it more acutely than before, that they were completely alone in his own flat. No one to stop or interrupt them, as long as he played his cards right and effectively, he could… OK, scrap that. He was not, repeat _not_, thinking of doing anything remotely, er, _hentai_ to Nodame. Honestly!

Oh, curse his pledge to solve his problem with Sylvia before letting Nodame know of his heart. Nothing seemed to go right for him recently, in any case. Chiaki had never felt so _human!_ Anyways, the worst scenario would be if Nodame just storms out of his flat first, but he was quite positive that she wouldn't, when she's heard what he's got to say. Or learned what he wanted to do to her: whichever found its release faster! His hand moved a little closer, shakily, but just then, Nodame turned around and discovered his beautiful C. Steinbeck grand piano.

"Whoa, your piano!" she exclaimed and crossed the sitting room to get to the other side, carefully stepping around the beautiful carpet in awe to not dirty it.

_Kuso!_ Chiaki swore in frustration and stomped in to the kitchen grumbling. He almost kicked a table leg in viciousness.

Nodame opened the piano lid reverently and pressed a key. A clear, which was also deep, sound echoed in his flat.

"Do you want to play a tune for me while I cook?" Chiaki invited cautiously, putting on his apron.

"Ah," she hurriedly closed the lid and walked away from the piano. "Maybe next time."

"Suit yourself," he said. Chiaki wasn't too disappointed. There would be time enough for that later. But his face turned ashen when he saw Nodame entering his kitchen with a big smile.

"Let me help too, senpai!" she said.

"No way," Chiaki shrieked. "Get out!"

"Che," Nodame pouted. "Senpai, Nodame can cook also! Nodame told senpai already!"

"Yeah, whatever," he told her unfeelingly. "You can try 'cooking' in your own time but not while I'm in charge."

"Boo, Nodame can cook, I tell you…" she whined and inspected Chiaki senpai's kitchen appreciatively. Just like the rest of his house, it was simply decorated and practically arranged. For the maximum use of space, cupboards and sinks lined the kitchen walls, whereas the stove and oven were placed in the middle of it as a part of counter.

Chiaki opened the fridge and took several things out.

"What is senpai cooking?" asked Nodame.

"Wait and see," he replied enthusiastically. "It's something new I tried the other day. I think you'll love it, too."

"_Hai_," said Nodame, "I'm so looking forward to it."

Chiaki took out a bowl and poured in some white wine, while she watched him interestedly. But Nodame suddenly yelled when she saw Chiaki adding several peeled prawns into the bowl. "Senpai, what are you doing?" she asked, mystified.

"I'm soaking them in white wine. Like that, they taste great stir fried," he chuckled and added, "Drunken prawns."

At that, Nodame burst out laughing in her old unguarded way.

"Drunken prawns!" she cried. "What is that, _drunken prawns?_ Haha, senpai, that's ridiculous!"

Ridiculous as it was, Chiaki felt his heart lift at hearing Nodame roar with laughter.

"Shut up and wait," he retorted. "I'll cook you something so divinely delicious that you'll end up falling in love with it."

"It's true," she smiled mischievously and agreed. "Senpai's cooking had been the sole joy and pleasure for Nodame in our past rocky relationship."

"What's that supposed to mean…" he muttered sulkily under his breath and prepared the vegetables.

Just when Chiaki had dumped the neatly chopped pieces of broccoli into boiling water, his mobile rang noisily. He answered it, unwillingly, and regretted it immediately.

"Mr Chiaki!" Ed's urgent voice rang in his ear. "Where are you at now?! It's an emergency!"

_What now?_ He grimaced. He really didn't want to know!

"I'm at home," Chiaki replied, his voice full of as much resentment as he could express. But Ed was not to be hinted away.

"At home!" he expostulated and Chiaki had to pull his mobile away from his ear. "How can you be at home?! It's not even 3 yet!"

"Eddie," he told his over-zealous PA irritably. "Get to the point, what's happening?"

"You have to come back to the college, we need you here!"

"_Haa?_ Why?"

Chiaki listened to Ed's somewhat disjointed explanation intently, while severe frown gathered on his brows and Nodame looked at him worryingly.

"What?!" his shout nearly blew her away. "Why should I care if he's broken both his arms _and_ his legs?"

Chiaki was incensed. He thought he had every reason for the righteous wrath rising in him. Was this the work of his Nemesis, or what? Just when he began to believe that this stroke of good fortune, of having Nodame all to himself in private was the perfect chance he'd been craving for, he had to be called away!

"Mr Chiaki, but you are his tutor!" Ed nearly whined. "_And_ he's the solo violinist for the recital! We must arrange something!"

"_Must_ I be present?"

"Please, sir, we need you here! Right now!" Ed yelled and tactfully hung up.

_That sly toad…!_ An unidentifiable animalistic growl was heard in Chiaki's flat and Nodame approached the frustrated senpai cautiously.

"Senpai… Is there anything wrong?" she asked.

Chiaki turned his eyes on her ruefully and ruffled his hair, before saying; "One of my students has broken his arm in some stupid prank and I have to go back to the college to clean things up, I think."

"Oh!" she let out a subdued exclaim. "Ah, well… It can't be helped… We could do this another time, senpai… Of course, your work is more important. Nodame understands. Nodame is alright."

She was smiling through her obvious disappointment.

"It's not alright!" Chiaki cried out. "Whatever attentions they need from me, I'll make it real quick and come back soon. So just stay here and wait for me. You don't have anything else to do today, do you?"

"True, I don't but…"

"Hey, no buts," he cut her off sharply, picking up his jacket hurriedly. "Those annoying guys at the college can't do anything without me, but I don't suppose it's anything serious."

All ready to set out, he now stood facing Nodame directly and smiled apologetically. She was leaning lightly against the kitchen counter.

"Nodame," he said, softly, "I'll be back soon, so wait for me…"

"_Hai_..." she nodded.

Chiaki was suppressing another strong urge to pull her into his arms in a crushing embrace as he watched her meekly smiling back in answer, when his eyes fell on the pot on the stove.

"Ah! Broccoli!" he cried out.

"Eh?"

"I forgot about the broccoli."

"Broccoli?"

"Yes, in the pot!" he said irritably.

"Oh!" enlightenment dawned on her. "Nodame will turn off the fire and drain it when it's ready, senpai. Don't worry."

But that rather made Chiaki's heart fill with several foreseeable misgivings.

"No, don't do anything."

"Senpai," Nodame pouted. "Nodame can do that at least! Nodame can't understand why people would never trust her in the kitchen… It's nothing difficult _really!_ Let me do it! I can do it!"

Chiaki smirked and said, "I'd rather wait for the day when the pigs will fly."

"Muky! What did you say?!" screamed an enraged Nodame and he laughed.

"I don't have time. I'm going."

"Ah, you are running away. Senpai, what about the broccoli?!" Nodame shouted at his back persistently.

"Do whatever you want!" Chiaki replied over his shoulders and closed the door behind him. He was already interrupted in the middle of his mastery anyways. Whether Nodame really succeeds in cooking the broccoli to the exactly right point that he wanted, or not, he'd probably have to start all over again from the beginning when he comes back. He didn't like the idea of cooking for Nodame with a vegetable that's been sitting around for some time. Well, even if it _is_ Nodame, she hasn't managed to burn the whole house down in her long career of 'trying' to cook so there can't be much danger, is there?

* * *

When she was sure senpai has left, Nodame surreptitiously made her way towards the piano, in slow steps. Although this was her first time in his flat in London, she was already feeling very much at home, as if she'd spent years and years in there. With only a few differences as to the decoration and colourings, the flat still had that 'Chiaki Shinichi' feel to it. After all, he hadn't changed that much either. Nodame slowly opened the piano again, and thought she might play just a little bit to while away the time, when she heard the doorbell ring boisterously.

"Mukya!" she screamed. "That shocked me!"

Wondering if senpai has forgotten something, she ran to open the front door, not giving a thought to the fact that senpai did have a key to his own flat.

"Senpai, have you…?"

The rest of the words died in her mouth. It was not Chiaki senpai she opened the door to, but his _official_ fiancée.

"You!" Sylvia exclaimed in outrage. "What are you doing here?"

"Gyabo, it's Sylvia-san!"

Nodame's heart skipped a beat guiltily and Sylvia put her nose up at a flustering Nodame, pushing her way past her.

"Where is Shin?"

"Ah, he had to go back to the college for some business so I'm alone here."

"Shin left you alone in his house?!" amazement and indignation spread on Sylvia's face. "How could that be? He doesn't like people intruding on him!"

"Ah… Well…" Nodame was lost for words. What can she say to make Sylvia-san less angry? She was troubling senpai again. "He did say he'll be back very soon…"

"Said he'll be…!" Sylvia merely looked at her open-mouthed, and asked sharply, "What were you two doing?!"

"Erm, Nodame told senpai that Nodame hadn't had lunch yet and that Nodame was hungry so senpai said that senpai would cook lunch for Nodame so Nodame and senpai came back to senpai's place together…"

Sylvia stood still for a moment, her head whirling, trying to puzzle out Nodame's encrypted – sort of – explanation. _Hold on, that sen-thingy… means Shin and Nodame is her name…_ she thought. _Oh, I get it, so Shin said he'll cook for Nodame!_But no. That was not something she should congratulate herself for figuring it out!

Sylvia stomped to the kitchen. Just as Nodame had said, it did look like someone had hurriedly left it in the middle of cooking. Raw vegetables were laid out on the counter, with a knife across the cutting board, and the pot was still boiling on the stove. Nodame followed her in anxiously.

"_Ano_, Sylvia-san. Would you like some tea?" she asked.

"Tea!" Sylvia yelled at the top of her voice and simply glared at her. Unfortunately, Nodame was not up to confronting the enraged Madam Fiancée squarely without her sustenance and felt extremely uncomfortable. Why must it be like this, she wondered.

"Aren't you a bit out there?" shouted Sylvia in hostility after a while. "You are a total stranger in this house, you know! You don't belong here, so don't treat it as if this was your own!"

"Ah, you are right…" Nodame replied meekly and thought if it wouldn't be better for her to just leave right now, but came the sudden attack before she could make any move.

"I know you used to date Shin before."

"Eh?" Nodame's eyes widened.

"I know you are Shin's ex-girlfriend!" Sylvia repeated irritably.

"_Fuoh_, how…?!"

"Just because I don't know things about classical music composers or their music doesn't mean I'm dense! I can see it!" she yelled. "I can see how comfortable and yet nervous Shin feels at the same time, when he's with you. I can see that you were more special to him than any of those 'friends from Paris.' And I can see the way you look at him too!" she ended on a bitter angry note.

"Ah, Sylvia, calm down please. It's true that we had a relationship before but I can assure you it was a long time ago…"

"Yes, exactly! You are an ex; I'm the one he's going to marry!"

"Ah… if you say so…" Nodame looked away.

"Besides, I already knew Shin had several girlfriends in London before he started going out with me, so it doesn't really matter how many exes he has!"

"S, several girlfriends…"

Now, _that_ got her attention. Nodame bit her lower lip and seethed inside. It was boiling as hotly as those broccolis in the pot. _Oh, that man is _so_ going to get it…!  
_

"None of his previous relationships lasted very long, I don't suppose he cared much about them. And," Sylvia added as an after-thought, "Shin is so cold and aloof anyways, so they can't mean a thing."

"Cold and aloof …!" Nodame rolled up her sleeves slowly.

"Why, yes! Don't you even know your ex-boyfriend's personality?" Sylvia asked scornfully. Nodame glared at her briefly and turned to lift the pot up from the fire without acknowledging Sylvia's scorn. She continued relentlessly. "He looks very arrogant from appearance – which he really is actually – and reserved; always so quiet and private and reticent! Sometimes, I even wonder if he has any proper feelings."

"What!?" screamed Nodame and dumped the pot heavily in the sink.

"It's true, he never gets jealous even when I flirt with other guys and just lets me go clubbing and drinking without him, all the time! I mean, I'm his fiancée, right? But actually, it's not just me, he treats almost everybody he knows in that way. To be honest," she chuckled lightly. "I don't think he has any 'friends' at all, other than those work-related acquaintances, like he can't be bothered to commit himself to any personal relationship or something. Normally, it's quite hard to approach him because he is very distant."

"But that's not like senpai at all!" yelled Nodame angrily. "Are you sure _you_ yourself know anything about Shinichi-kun at all?!"

"Of course! I'm his fiancée!" Sylvia retorted with equal volume and intensity. Her emotions were getting worked up too and she felt rather hot. She unbuttoned her pink jacket and held it in her hand.

"Well, if you think Shinichi-kun is so distant and aloof, I'm very surprised that you even consider marrying him! In fact, let me ask you; _why_ are you marrying him?"

"Because!" Sylvia shouted excitedly, but found that she couldn't come up with an answer in an instant.

"Do you even love him?" demanded Nodame, not a little incensed.

"Of cou-," even as she was about to spit her answer out quickly, Sylvia faltered and lost confidence. The love she felt for Shin was almost equal in magnitude to the love she harboured for her Gucci bag, which was unbelievably _a lot_, to be fair. _That was love too, right? _

Nodame slammed her hand on the counter, as furious as the fire that danced angrily on the stove.

"Can't you even answer that?! I agree Shinichi-kun is extremely conceited, spoilt, pompous, and quick-tempered and violent when he's cross," she listed rather proudly and affectionately, while Sylvia wondered for an abstracted second whether she's bad-mouthed him that far. "But he is also very nice, kind-hearted and caring! When I knew Chiaki senpai, his juniors relied on him to provide for various solutions to their problems, his _oke_ members trusted him and his friends craved for his attention and friendship! He's respected and adored by many people for his genius in music, as well as for him as a person, and if you can't see that side of him, then you don't deserve to marry him!"

She's finally said it. Nodame hadn't meant to come out with it so straightforwardly, but she was to infuriated to think at all. Her shoulders and chest heaved in rapid gasps and she glared rather obstinately at Sylvia, who stared back at her with an open mouth.

"What... did you say?"

"I said you can't marry senpai!"

"Oh, indeed!" Sylvia cried, swinging her jacket over her shoulder and was about to launch into heated and biting counterattack, when Nodame cried out loud for something entirely different.

"Mukya, fire!"

She pointed at Sylvia's jacket. It _was_ on fire! Both of them had been too involved in their fighting that neither realised Nodame had forgotten to turn off the stove. And Sylvia had been standing dangerously close to the naked fire just now, as the jacket dramatically swept above it.

"Oh my God!" screeched Sylvia. "What happened?! What do I do?!"

Totally unnerved and panic-stricken, she hopped out to the sitting room, still flapping the jacket in her hand.

"Throw it away!" Nodame told her and Sylvia promptly followed her directive. The burning jacket landed on Chiaki's expensive Persian carpet and the fire began spreading hungrily on the flammable textile. Nodame growled and tried to stamp it out, quite unsuccessfully.

"We need water! We need water!"

Sylvia ranted madly and sprinted back into the kitchen. She saw a bowl, with prawns floating in some clear liquid and grabbed it gratefully.

"Here! Water!"

Nodame did see and remembered what Sylvia was holding, but before she could shout _No!_ Sylvia threw the wine on the fire. It grew big all of sudden, like a fire demon, and Sylvia dropped the bowl, screaming. The fire alarm had already gone off in deafening ringing, and with Sylvia and Nodame running about like two headless chickens, the scene was a total chaos.

"I'm getting out of here!" Sylvia screamed. "Let's go, Nodame!"

"No, wait! The fire is going to the bookshelf! Must stop it!"

"Come on! Just leave it and get out!"

"No way! Must save them! They are senpai's treasure!"

Nodame silently refused, even though she knew there was little she could do, but Sylvia was not going to risk her life for a stubborn fool. She had done enough; it was Nodame herself who chose to stay. Sylvia made a dash towards the front door and slammed it hard behind her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chiaki was finally returning from the college, after having given a thundering scold to his student for breaking his precious arm in a childish play, when he was a violinist himself, re-scheduled his various exams and picked those 'lucky' ones who'd replace him in the recital. He was glad he could work things out faster than he'd expected, and was driving back home quite happily. Out of blue, he heard the loud siren of fire engine behind him and made way for it. It sped past his BMW and Chiaki idly wondered if there was fire somewhere.

Maybe Nodame did manage to burn his house down this time?

He thought it was a good joke and laughed to himself.

_Surely not_, he thought.

_Can't be_, he considered.

_It better not be...! _

Unfortunately, his anxiety only increased ten folds as he neared his flat and saw a large crowd of people standing around, with a fire engine parked outside. He hurriedly parked his car anyhow, and shot out of his seat. _What's going on?!_

"Why, is there a fire somewhere?" he asked, grabbing one of his neighbours he recognised.

"Yeah, looks like it."

"Where? Which floor?!" Chiaki demanded urgently.

"I'm not sure..." his neighbour answered and walked off. Chiaki ran his eyes madly through the crowd to confirm if Nodame was out there as well. But instead, he saw Sylvia.

"Shin!" she cried and fluttered over to him.

"Sylvia!" he also cried in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, Shin, it's horrible! I only came to see you, but you were not in, and Nodame was there, we got into argument and my pink jacket got fire and Nodame said to throw it away so-!"

Chiaki interrupted her irritably.

"What are you talking about?! Where is Nodame?"

"I'm saying there's fire in your house and Nodame is still inside!" screamed Sylvia hysterically.

He gasped. Several thousands images of Nodame trapped somehow in there while the unforgiving fire was ablaze, passed Chiaki's mind and his brain stopped working. His eyes saw white and he flung himself wildly. If those two firefighters who were standing by did not stop Chiaki, he would have blindly run into the building.

"Shin! What are you doing?"

"Let go...!" he replied shakily.

"Sir, you cannot go in right now," said one of the firefighters who was struggling to hold him still. "It's dangerous in there and our colleague has gone in to bring her out so please wait outside."

"I said let go," he pulled his arm out of reach violently. "Let go! Let go!"

"Are you mad? He said it's dangerous!"

"_That's my life and soul in there!_" he bellowed at Sylvia's incredulous face. "Do you even understand? _I love her!_ If something were to happen to her, I'd...!"

His legs felt weak from just imagining and Chiaki stopped struggling for a moment. Just then, there was a commotion as two people made their way out of the building.

"Make way! Make way!"

The firefighters released Chiaki and he also rushed to check on those two new arrivals. He saw the familiar face of his beloved in one of them.

"Oh, thank God! Thank _God_!" he cried and ran his hands over Nodame's face and body.

"Senpai..."

"Are you alright?"

She looked none the worse for the incident, but rather cheerful he thought, and Chiaki was beginning to feel like kicking her behind for worrying him, when Nodame cleanly fainted in his arms.

* * *

**A/N**: Waaah! Calm down. I said 'climax' not necessarily the reconciliation! Oh, dear, evil me... But come on, guys. Reconciliation, at this point, is already a given anyways, don't you think? ;) And I didn't cut it in the middle of nowhere despite the length getting longer and longer and passing 5000 words... -0- so you are _not _allowed to say it's too long and boring...! XD

(giggle) looks like Chiaki's earned some fury from you, **gina**. ;) But I agree, the man needs to be tortured (?) a bit before he can lay his hands on his precious Nodame.. But I really think it's time to end his nightmare and torment, the poor man. I'll be nice to him from now on (haha!)

Thanks for the review, **Evenight**! I think one can't write about something one doesn't know, even if it's fiction, so I do research and try to get the facts right. Although my research on Berlioz was out of personal interest as much as for writing this... :)

BIG thanks to everyone who's enjoying this painfully slow progression towards the reconciliation...! OK, time to say bye-bye to Sylvia?! XD


	13. Chapter 12

_Love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all._

-_**Beloved**_, Toni Morrison

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"Chiaki, is Nodame alright?"

Tanya burst into the private room he'd gotten for Nodame, clattering and greatly flustered. She gasped loudly when she saw how deathly motionless Nodame lied on the white bed, while Chiaki had his head buried in his hands in utter despair. He promptly looked up and welcomed Tanya and Kuroki with some relief.

"She's OK," he said, his voice still quite shaky. "She's not in a coma – thank God – but sleeping under the influence of sedatives. Just need to rest a bit, they said…"

"Lord, what happened?!" Tanya shouted in agitation. Chiaki half opened his mouth to answer her, but Kuroki firmly interrupted him.

"Tanya," he told his wife. "Calm down, we are in hospital. Didn't you hear what Chiaki-kun said? Megumi-chan needs to rest."

He turned to Chiaki, who was rather pale, and squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"Maybe we should all go to the lobby for a cup of coffee. You look like you need it, Chiaki-kun."

"Thank you, but no," replied Chiaki. "How can I leave her alone? I'm alright, but I'd be glad for some coffee if you could bring it to me here."

Kuroki was about to ask Tanya to stay in the room so that he could whisk away the exhausted man and get him some rest, when his wife opened her mouth with a frown and considerable reluctance.

"Actually, I have something to tell you," said Tanya. "But not here."

Chiaki turned around, looking puzzled.

"Something to tell me?"

"Yes, it's about Nodame…"

While Chiaki had no clue as to what Tanya was on about, Kuroki mentally hit his knee thinking, _so here it comes finally!_

* * *

Nodame was frustrated. _So_ frustrated! The Beethoven piece that she thought she had mastered was falling to pieces, again. She couldn't play it. Her fingers stumbled. Her wrist hurt _so much_, damn it! But the physical pain was nothing. She could ignore it, if she concentrated hard enough. That was the easy part – although it was rarely applied, Nodame did have an amazing power of concentration once she started something, almost to the point of dangerous obsession. The throbbing pain in her right wrist, swollen to almost three times its original size, was easy to ignore, in comparison to the frustration and heartache she was feeling at not being able to play the piece right! _That_ was harder to ignore. With only ten more days to go until the first day of the _concours_, this definitely was not the time to be worrying about stumbling fingers or unsmooth flow of her wrist!

As her fingers slowed and coiled around each other clumsily once again, Nodame stopped playing and let out a grievous wail. Even though _she_ could ignore the pain, her hand could not, and it refused to work in accordance with her command. She had always been able to express all that she'd wanted to on the piano. That had been as natural a part of her as saying that she was hungry when she felt the hunger, or that she was sleepy when she felt the fatigue. And her fingers, the long, calloused and surprisingly fast fingers always responded to her in perfect harmony. She'd been gifted that way.

But for the first time in her career, Nodame found that her fingers did not move as she wanted them to move, and there was nothing more frustrating and stressful to an artist than not being able to express oneself clearly with the brilliant ideas that flooded one's mind. Not to mention that a very important _concours_ was right under her nose!

Gritting her teeth in grim determination, Nodame began to play from the beginning again, almost like torturing herself deliberately. She did not even notice Tanya standing behind her until she shook her shoulders.

"Mukya, Tanya!" she screamed. "You gave me a shock! When did you come in?"

"I've called you many times already, but you didn't stop playing!" said Tanya, regarding Nodame proudly. "So, how's it coming along? Are you nearly ready? It's only ten days left, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes…" Nodame averted her eyes and scuffled to hide her wrist from Tanya. She was very glad that Tanya was not very observant.

"Did you have dinner yet? Gosh, you look like a wraith already! How much weight have you lost?"

"Ah, well…"

"Doesn't matter. Come to my room, let's have dinner together," said Tanya good-naturedly. "You haven't been eating properly since Chiaki left, have you? We can't let you faint from malnutrition even before the competition. Let's go."

"_Ano_, thank you very much, Tanya, but I think I'd rather stay and finish this piece…"

"Oh, come on! You gotta eat at some point!"

"Yes, but Nodame needs to get this piece ready first…"

"Even if it's the beef stew you loved last time with 4 full-course meal?"

Nodame swallowed hard.

"Thanks for the offer but…"

"Wait!" Tanya interrupted her, wrinkling her nose in distaste. "What's this smell?!"

"S, smell…?"

"Yes! This horrible smell, like menthol and rotten _miso_ and… oh, I don't know! It's disgusting!"

Nodame pulled her sleeve further down and did not look at Tanya.

"Ah, nothing, nothing," she said.

"It's not nothing! Wait, it smells almost like…!"

Then, she finally saw that Nodame was cradling her wrist uncomfortably.

"Yes, it smells like the Tiger Balm!" she exclaimed. "Nodame, is your wrist hurting or something?!"

"Ah, no, Tanya it's nothing!"

"Let me have a look."

"No, please, Tanya, it's alright!"

"Here, let me _see_!"

Tanya managed to yank Nodame's right hand from her hold and Nodame yelped in pain. When Tanya pushed up the sleeve to reveal the offending wrist, she was horrified.

"Nodame!"

"Ah, don't say anything!" Nodame exclaimed and snatched her hand out of Tanya's. "It's nothing, really. Nodame'll be better in a few days…"

"What happened, it's all red and swollen!? You can't play piano in that condition!"

"I tell you it's nothing serious! Nodame just fell hard on her hand and sprained it slightly. It'll be fine very soon…"

"You sprained your wrist!?" Tanya gasped. "Did you go and see the doctor?"

"Ah, yes…"

In line with her usual habits, Nodame avoided looking directly at Tanya's eyes but her Russian friend was not so attuned to her more intimate behaviours.

"What did he say?"

"He, er, told Nodame to rub some balm on… that it'll be OK to play."

"Impossible! Your wrist is so swollen!" Tanya held Nodame's shoulder in a strong grip and turned her around. "_What did he say?_"

Nodame kept her eyes firmly away from Tanya and did not say anything.

"You didn't go to see a doctor, did you," said Tanya after a period of silence. It was not a question but a statement. "When did this happen?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe a week or two ago?" Nodame answered distratedly.

"Do you mean to tell me your wrist has been like this for more than a week?" Tanya sounded rather calm, only the slightest tremor in her voice betraying her white rage. Again, Nodame refused to answer her.

"Get up."

"Tanya," Nodame implored. "There's no need…"

"Get up!"

"No, Nodame needs to practice…!"

"Oh, don't be a bloody idiot!" cried Tanya. "Do you want me to drag you to the hospital?!"

"The competition is in ten days…!" replied Nodame obstinately.

"Screw competition! You can't compete in that condition!"

"Shut up! Shut _up_!" Nodame screamed with sudden heat. As weird and abnormal as Nodame had been, she was never wont to use such coarse language and Tanya was considerably taken back by her vehemence. Her eyes widened in puzzlement as she was faced with an agitated Nodame, frantically stomping to and fro while wringing her hands. "Nodame _will_ compete," she said.

"But why?"

"Why?!" Nodame stopped pacing and shouted. "Nodame is a pianist! Nodame _needs_ to play!"

"Right now, you need to see a doctor!" Tanya cried in equal frustration.

"No, no doctors. I _won't_ go to see a doctor! Never!"

"Why not?"

"W, what if... What if the doctor tells me something's gone wrong.. What if.. my wrist is spoilt... What if... I.. really can't play the piano anymore...?"

Nodame's voice was trembling piteously. Tanya felt her heart squeeze at seeing how scared Nodame looked right now and held her shoulders firmly, giving her a good shake.

"Can't you see you are only making it worse by being a stubborn idiot? Let's just go to the hospital, hn, Nodame?"

Nodame was quiet for a moment and Tanya entertained a hope that she'd finally managed to talk some sense into that weird head of hers, but not for long.

"No, it's really alright. Nodame will continue the practice," said Nodame and Tanya finally lost it and screamed at the top of her voice.

"Why are you acting like an obsessed fool?!"

"Because Nodame is scared of not being able to play! Because Nodame must perform!" Nodame also yelled in answer. "Don't you see, Tanya? Nodame can't be with senpai if she doesn't play the piano!"

Tanya was lost for words. Her injured friend was now biting her lower lip, trying to fight back the tears that were threatening to overflow. Tanya couldn't understand her.

"Whatever do you _mean_?" she asked and Nodame babbled frustratingly.

"Everyone tells Nodame that she must be a performing pianist, that she must face the music more honestly and straightforwardly, that she must play in this way and that way: Nodame is tired! She misses the old way she used to play. Her head is about to explode from all the analysis she had to do," she turned scornful all at once. "But, _no!_ She perseveres, doesn't give up, works so hard, because in fact, she loves it! She loves the piano and she loves senpai. _So_ much! And she now has a goal; an ambition, for the first time in her entire life! _I want to perform on stage, together with Chiaki senpai. _But if Nodame can't play the piano…" she sobbed. "Piano and music are the only things I could boast about. If they were taken away… If I can't play the piano, then Chiaki senpai won't stay with me..."

"W, what nonsense are you talking about…?"

"It's not nonsense!" she cried. "Nodame loves Chiaki senpai so much! Nodame won't be able to live without senpai in her life!"

"Love? It sounds more like an unreasonable obsession to me. It's almost scary!"

"Huh…?" Nodame looked genuinely shocked. She never thought of it as _that_.

"You behaving in this crazy way will only _burden_ Chiaki even more. Have you never thought about that?! He wouldn't want such an obsessed freak for a girlfriend!"

Tanya might have uttered those words purely so that she can drag Nodame to the hospital, but the only results they achieved were Nodame sitting there with her eyes as big as a frightened rabbit, tears pouring down incessantly now, and the heavy silence.

* * *

When she got to this point, Tanya hung her head down and did not continue. All of sudden, Chiaki's mind drew a complete blank, but soon enough he shot up from his chair, slamming the table with his fist.

"You said _what_?" he shouted. Several curious heads from other tables turned to see what was going on. Kuroki slowly followed his suit and planted himself between the angered man and his wife protectively. Chiaki glared at him with all the rage that was boiling inside him, but Kuroki met his eyes squarely and did not budge. He shook his head slightly. Extreme tension began to prick at Tanya's ears.

"Oh, come off it," said Chiaki irately, after having glared at him for a full minute. "I'm not going to hit your wife or something!"

"I hope not, Chiaki-kun," Kuroki replied gravely.

"Did _you_ know as well?" Chiaki asked him pointedly and slumped back to the chair.

"I, er, suspected something but didn't know the exact details…"

"Why didn't you tell me? Why did _no one_ tell me?!"

It seemed like Tanya had no answer to that. Chiaki thought he would go crazy like how Nodame did all those years ago in any moment. _Was_ that why she left him? Had she been so uncertain of his feelings for her that she even believed that playing the piano was the only way to have him anchored to her? Was that all they had in their relationship? Could he have been so blind to Nodame's insecurities, like a fool?! Chiaki felt his heart break all over again for the idiotic hentai girl he'd loved so much. Whom he was still in love with.

"I'm so sorry, Chiaki," Tanya nearly whispered. "I didn't know things would turn out as they did. I was just…"

"Being thoughtless!" he replied sternly.

"There was this Takumi person, too… I thought perhaps Nodame also decided that she needed a breather from you..." her voice caught on a sob. "And I was also caught up with things happening in my life so…"

"Takumi!" Chiaki yelled disgustedly. "Haven't you already realised that he's just an imaginary person? He doesn't exist!"

"Eh? _No_, doesn't he?!"

Now Tanya blenched, as white as paper.

"You, you… thoughtless, selfish, flighty…!"

"Tanya made a mistake, Chiaki-kun," her husband interpolated calmly. "I'm not blindly defending her or something, but I think that's quite enough… She's really sorry, aren't you, my dear?"

His wife gulped and nodded enthusiastically. Chiaki snorted.

"If just saying 'sorry' was enough, we wouldn't need the police, would we?!"

"Now, there's no need for cynicism."

"Just leave me alone for now…"

Tanya and Kuroki exchanged meaningful glances and decided it was best to do as he asked. Before they left, Tanya apologised wholeheartedly once again.

"Chiaki, I'm really _really_ sorry."

He knew she meant it, but could not easily say that it was alright. After all, Tanya's careless remark to Nodame had cost them – him 8 years _sans_ his life and soul, during which time he had been merely breathing and aging, but not really _living_. How he had managed to shut down his brain to this fact, was more amazing than he could even begin to fathom. Feeling more frustrated than ever, Chiaki returned to her side, determined to remain there no matter what.

* * *

Nodame slowly awoke to the repeated sound of '_baka… baka…_' near her. She didn't recognise the room or the bed she was lying on. Where was she? She tried to move her head to look around but winced at the headache that attacked her instantly. _Wha…? Ah…_ She remembered… her meeting Sylvia in the flat… then the argument… followed by the fire… _Oh, the fire!_ She needed to make sure that senpai's prized scores and music collections were safe and away from the fire! If she doesn't hurry…!

When she struggled to get up, the crouching figure who's been repeating the word _baka_ like a mantra looked up sharply and stopped her from moving.

"Nodame!" he said. "Don't get up. Lie down, yes, that's a good girl…"

His soothing voice managed to calm her befuddled sense.

"Senpai…?"

"Yes, it's me."

Nodame blinked several times and forced her focus on the face looming above her. He looked down at her worriedly.

"Senpai, the fire, the books, your records…!"

"Hush, it's alright," he said softly. "Everything is under control. Relax."

"Chiaki senpai…"

Nodame felt so reassured and comforted by his mere presence that she could breathe again.

"Are you feeling ok?" he asked in a voice oozing with concern.

"_Hai_," she replied, with a weak smile. Her headache was forgotten in contentment.

"Are you really, _really_ ok? Nothing hurts? You don't feel nauseating?" asked Chiaki in a soft and somewhat unstable voice. When he placed his hand on her forehead, Nodame felt his fingertips tremble slightly.

"No, please don't worry senpai. Nodame is perfectly fine," she smiled.

"Well, if that's the case…"

Chiaki let out a big sigh of relief. Then his facial expression took a 180 degree turn and the scariest scowl Nodame has yet to see appeared.

"You bloody idiot!" he roared. "What the hell were you doing in my flat when there was a fire burning everything in sight? Are you stupid? Are you really hopelessly idiotic? When there is a fire, you just leave everything and get out! Were you trying to destroy yourself? Were you trying to kill _me_?!"

His loud yell hurt her ears and Nodame flinched visibly.

"But senpai…!" she argued pleadingly. "The fire was going to the books! Your music scores…! You spent so much time in collecting them and Nodame knows very well how much they mean to you…"

"You stupid _stupid_ girl!" Chiaki yelled his lungs out. "They can burn right down to the cinders, for all I care! They are dispensable, you idiot!"

"Eh…?" Nodame looked at him blankly. "But senpai…"

"Oh, shut up and rest! Talking to you makes me annoyed," he snapped and sat down on the chair with a clatter, covering his head with his hands. "You bloody idiot… Have no idea how worried I was… God… Oh God, I thought…!" the words were wrung out of him.

"Senpai…"

Nodame stared at him with astonishment. Just when she was about to extend her hand to caress his head, someone coughed at the door and interrupted them.

"May I remind you that you are in a hospital and it is _imperative_ that you keep quiet for the sake of other patients?" said a nurse, irritated.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Chiaki apologised immediately, somewhat stricken with guilt. Whatever she may say, Nodame was still a patient too!

"It seems like Miss Noda is awake now," said the Nurse, flipping her charts.

"Y, yes," he said. "She just opened her eyes now."

"Oh, Nurse-san," Nodame interrupted enthusiastically, in an attempt to divert Chiaki senpai's wrath. "Do I need more injections? Perhaps I need to be hospitalised for many weeks? Or run an MER? Please, tell me the truth; _what is wrong with me?_"

The nurse in her pristine white uniform merely looked at her without any expression, for many seconds, before replying, "That would be 'MRI' you're talking about. There's nothing wrong with you. You can be discharged whenever you are ready."

"Eh?" Nodame drawled. "Don't you have to do more check-ups and make sure Nodame is alright?"

"Yours is a very minor case of smoke inhalation. We have already checked that you've not sustained any burns to your skin or your lungs," replied the harassed nurse. "As I said, there's nothing wrong with you."

"Che, is that all...?" Nodame sounded rather disappointed and Chiaki flared up again.

"It's _'thank God that's all'_, right?! If I didn't know you better, I'd say that smoke you breathed in damaged your brain or something!"

"A-_hem_!" the nurse coughed loudly and silenced him. "You can rest here for now, if you feel too weak to move, but you are also OK to go home if you think you'd be more comfortable at home," she turned to Chiaki. "All the same, she'll need to be kept tranquil under extensive care for a few days. It must have been a traumatising experience for the young lady."

"The one who needs to be under extensive care after _this_ traumatising experience is actually _me_, isn't it?" Chiaki muttered darkly under his breathe after the nurse left.

"Eh, what did you say senpai?"

Chiaki glared at her.

"I said you are coming home _with me_."

"Ah, but..."

"For Christ's sake," said Chiaki irritably. "I've had enough of your 'buts' and 'nos'. How else am I going to take extensive care of you if you are not staying with me?"

"Senpai, but your house was on fire, remember?"

"You can't have burned down the whole flat, can you?"

"Ah..." Nodame looked away. "I am not sure..."

Chiaki groaned.

"You are so impossible," he said. "I'll call Ed and tell him to clean."

"Who's Ed?"

"My secretary."

"Oh, you have a secretary even?" Nodame sounded amazed. "But is it ok to make him do such work as cleaning your house?"

Chiaki grunted and said, "It's his job," but it was also true that Ed has been doing all sorts of work lately. Maybe Chiaki should give him a long holiday... Yes, maybe then he'd just leave him alone to spend some quality time with Nodame without pestering him with endless work. He should probably take some time off as well... It's been ages since he went back to Japan. Suddenly, Chiaki became aware of Nodame's soft gaze on him. She was smiling so angelically that somehow he got so irritated. How can she just smile like that after putting him through such a torture? He sought out her right hand and caressed the wrist tenderly.

"Tanya told me."

"Huh?"

"She told me what happened before the competition."

"Ah...!" Nodame paled slightly. She didn't know what to say. "Oh... erm..."

"Does it still hurt...?" he asked, lifting her hand to graze his cheek lightly.

"No... of course not..."

A becoming blush spread on her face, but Chiaki's jaw hardened and with a sudden snap, he bent her wrist backward forcefully.

"What about now, does it hurt?"

"Mu-_**KYA**!_" Nodame screamed. "Of course it does! What are you doing, senpai!"

"So, you thought I wouldn't want an obsessed freak like you for a girlfriend?"

He did not get any answer.

"You thought you couldn't stay with me if you didn't play piano?"

Still, she was speechless.

"But you still play now, don't you?"

"Well, that's..."

"No more," he interrupted her. "No more excuses, or lies, or misunderstandings. Come home with me, Nodame."

Totally mesmerised by Chiaki senpai's dark eyes that seemed to absorb her entire being, Nodame could do nothing but nod meekly at his command.

* * *

Fortunately, Chiaki's flat was not greatly damaged. Only his carpet needed to be thrown away and there was some scorch marks on his coffee table in the sitting room, but he could live with that. He still wouldn't have minded more burnt furniture, as long as he had Nodame unhurt. As it was, he was extremely grateful to the fire alarm that used to annoy him so much by going off falsely at the most ungodly hour of 3 am sometimes, and the firefighters who had been so prompt and efficient. All thanks to them, his flat was still standing intact and Nodame was safe and sound. And standing in his arms right now, as he led her to the sofa by her elbow. When her hair tickled his chin, Chiaki had to fight his urge to bury his face and nuzzle the crook of her neck. _She needs tranquility_, he kept reminding himself.

"Senpai, please… Nodame is not a sick person."

"But you fainted!"

"That was because I inhaled too much smoke, nothing too serious."

"You could have died!"

"Oh, Nodame doesn't die that easily…" she said deviously.

Despite his anxiety, Chiaki couldn't help but laugh quietly and agree: "That's for sure…"

He sat down next to her and felt nervous at the heat building up inside him. It was now or never. Things have gone awry for too long. _He_'d been waiting for too long. Nodame slumped to the back of the sofa comfortably, and he edged in a little closer to her.

"I'm going to break off the engagement with Sylvia," he announced abruptly.

"Why?" shock was her first response. She looked like a puppy in her astonishment.

"_Why?_" the word rolled on his tongue. "Can you really ask 'why'?"

Nodame simply threw him challenging glances, as if daring him to tell her the reason.

"Alright, then I'll _show_ you why," he said and pulled her gently into an embrace. Before she had time to think, his lips were on hers, placing featherlight kisses on them, as opposed to the dictates of that burning urgency growing at his core. Meeting no resistance - not like he expected any! - Chiaki moved in to deepen the kiss. One arm draped her waist possessively, while the other was buried in her hair, tilting the head to give him more access to the mouth that has been tempting him for weeks on end! He'd meant to go slowly, first by teasing her a little, seducing her if needs be, but when his tongue found hers, Chiaki nearly jumped at the sudden heat that shot up to his head and lost all manner of control, falling upon her passionately. There was nothing for it but to give in to the natural chemistry and desire that existed between them, which was well on its way of wholly consuming Chiaki already.

Nodame tried to protest half-heartedly at first. She was being mercilessly crushed in his arms, under his weight, but soon nothing could have pulled her away from her senpai as she too was lost to reason and senses of this world. When she got her bearings back, Nodame realised she was lying on the couch with senpai on top of her. He was not letting her come up even for breathes. She thought her heart would stop beating and pushed her beloved away with a great presence of mind. Both of them were panting heavily, but Chiaki's had not enough. His mouth soon descended on her again, but Nodame stopped him firmly.

"S, senpai…" she said reproachfully.

A deep burning blush appeared on Chiaki's face and he hastily sat up, turning his back on her. His sudden burst of desire had surprised even Chiaki himself but considering it's been caged inside him forcefully for 8 long years, he thought Nodame could be a bit more indulgent! He hunched his shoulders and remained silent, still trying to bring his breathing under control. But he didn't have time to sulk, as Nodame soon hurled herself on his back and hugged him tightly from behind.

"Senpai… Have you gotten thinner?"

"No way," Chiaki caressed her hand. "I probably put on weight since I didn't have you around to drive me mad."

She giggled.

"Was Nodame that bad?"

"The worst!" he replied in heat. "The worst disaster that ever descended upon me!"

"Really," her face fell. "I'm sorry, senpai. I'll try to behave now."

"Behave!" Chiaki exclaimed and turned around, disengaging her arms from his neck. "You, _behave_? Idiot, don't even think about it! A Nodame who doesn't provide me with a day full of hair-raising incidents with her weird antics and obsessions is not a Nodame at all! Can't you understand it already, that I do not want you in any different way, you simple unicellular amoeba!?"

Now she was flabbergasted indeed.

"Senpai, the insults have been upgraded…" she pouted.

"Of course, it's been 8 years! I have been hoarding them inside for the future use."

"_Fuoh,_ so spiteful!"

Chiaki burst out laughing and pinched her nose.

"You weird, absurd _animal_!" he teased affectionately but Nodame's face fell even lower.

"Is Nodame now an animal?"

"Well, yeah! I can't precisely call you an angel or sweetheart in my right mind, can I? Or would you prefer the title '_hentai_'?"

"Gyabo… Senpai really is relishing in this, isn't he?"

Nodame made her 'booboo' face and he laughed heartily at her expense.

"Yes, of course! I've missed this for so many years!"

"I see…" her eyes narrowed. "Then let me have the taste of what I've been missing too. Senpai… Please let me unbutton your shirt and smell you…!"

Her face turned awfully red and her nostrils flared in excitement. Chiaki grasped his collars defensively (to protect his virtue?) and backed away to a corner.

"Wha… what, no! Go away, you _hentai_!"

"Don't be shy, senpai… Weren't you the one just now who couldn't stop himself from gobbling me up?"

She had her evil smile on and was panting - heavily.

"Wha… That was… _Oi_!"

Chiaki turned red and protested as her greedy hands rubbed on his chest, while practically _drooling_.

"_Jaa,_ senpai…"

And **SMACK**! Now everything was back to normal.

"Boo… you didn't have to hit so hard…" said Nodame, with tears in her eyes and rubbing the lump on her head.

"You crazy _hentai, _are you back to your senses now?! Gosh, you never change, do you? As weird as ever!" he glared at her bent head. "But I still love you to distraction! What am I to do with you…?"

Nodame put her head up so fast that her neck nearly creaked.

"Huh… What did you just say?"

"I said, 'what am I going to do with you', you _hentai_!"

"No, no," Nodame shook her head and clutched at his arms quite desperately. "Before that, senpai. What did you say before that?"

"Before that…" realising what she was getting at, Chiaki blushed again. For a moment, he was tempted to change the subject and run away from the honesty and frankness. After all, people's personalities cannot change that much over night. But he recalled what terrible things Nodame's insecurities had caused 8 years ago, and she had a right to be certain, now that she was to stay with him. In fact, this was something he should have told her years ago!

"I love you, Nodame…" he confessed reluctantly, but not grudgingly. The reluctance only sprang from his shyness. Even a worldly acclaimed genius was turned into a n inexperienced callous youth in front of the power of love.

Nodame gasped loudly in answer and began to breathe very heavily. She could hardly speak.

"S, senpai…! Wha… N, Nodame…"

"Are you alright?" he asked anxiously.

"Y, yes…! But, that's not… the point!"

She inhaled and exhaled deeply three times and calmed her palpitation with some difficulty. When her breathing came back to normal, Nodame looked at Shinichi with tears in her eyes.

"Senpai, can you say that again please?"

"_Haa_? _No_, why?" he looked away from her, showing every sign of extreme irritation. It wasn't something to be so moved-to-tears about and to see her in such a state for those three measly words was making him feel so guilty!

"Senpai," she continued without caring. Her voice was trembling with emotion. "Do you know this is the very first time you've said that to me directly?"

"Oh, is it? Must have slipped out of my mind…" feeling embarrassed on top of that, Chiaki tried to make a joke out of it and change the subject as quickly as possible, but Nodame was too happy to allow that.

"Ah, senpai!" she cried. "Senpai, Nodame loves senpai too! So much! Nodame has been a big fool and she is very sorry. She'll never leave you again! Nodame will be with you always!"

Such guileless and sincere confession from the loved one was enough to drive any young man – in love – with a healthy appetite mad for more. Chiaki pounced on her again and it was long before further conversation was exchanged between them.

* * *

**A/N**: MUKYA! XD There, you have it! I'm so sorry about the delay. To say that I'd been very busy, would be the understatement of my life, methinks! But now you have the 1. mysteries of the past solved, 2. the reconciliation, and 3. the kiss!! (hehehe) I really hope your waiting was well worth it, but also apologise for my poor attempt at writing fluff... (sighs)

The scene of the past in this chapter - Nodame crying that she can't be with Chiaki if she can't play piano anymore - and the quote from the book 'Beloved' were the very first and basic concepts of this story, which has spawned into Cheeky Angel since its conceiving. In 'Beloved', a runaway black slave, Seth, killed her own baby daughter under the threat of extreme danger, not wishing her to undergo the same torture she went through, saying her love was too thick. I always thought Nodame's love for Chiaki was just as 'thick' and also that thick love might, one day, drive her to do some crazy stuff, like leaving him - purely hypothetical, of course :)

I guess it wasn't so pleasant to see Nodame and Chiaki separated at the beginning, and all I can say is thank you so much for sticking with me until now. Even bigger thanks for the kind and encouraging reviews! You guys truly are stars and I loved reading every one of them! I've only published 4 fanfics so far, but I think Cheeky Angel was the one I took most seriously and lovingly. It's been a little more than 3 months since its first update, and not without certain amount of regret, I'd like to say that the next update of Cheeky Angel would be the final chapter. (Still need to do get rid of Sylvia... XD) Once again, I thank all of you for your interest for this story and please look forward to the last chapter as well! ;)


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Okay, guys....... before you throw that stone in your hand... I'm so sorry!!!!!!!!!!! :( When I'd updated the previous chapter like... millions years ago, I didn't mean for the wait to be this long, even when months had passed, I kept telling myself, you gotta finish that story!!! I'd been very conscious-stricken til now, cuz I really don't like to leave things unfinished. Excuses are that, I graduated, moved back home (across the continent), got a job driving me crazy with stress and killing any bits of inspiration I might have had.. Furthermore, my laptop died on me, with part-done final chapter in its hard, then my desktop caught some virus and had to be formatted, _with_ the freshly written final chapter in it! And if any of you think I'd have made a back-up copy, then you overestimate me! T.T Anyways... To those of you who's stuck with me til now from the beginning, I love you. I was just re-reading your old reviews, and I'm really honestly encouraged and grateful to you. Thank you so much. And those of you who's recently reviewed and told me to upload the last chapter, thank you too! I'm glad that this little piece of writing has entertained you so far. And also in time for the final episode of Nodame Cantabile Finale anime, here is the final chapter of Cheeky Angel. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Nodame Cantabile and the characters within belong to Ninomiya sensei, not me.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Finale**

Dressed impeccably in a black tuxedo, Chiaki Shinichi, the 33 year-old resident conductor of London Symphony Orchestra, Assistant Music Director of Royal College of Music, genius by prowess and a Demon by reputation, stood tall at the altar of his own wedding. Beside him was the bride of dream that he's been fated to be enchained to forever. It should have been the happiest and proudest day of his life; the day he made the woman who's been tormenting him for the past decade finally his. Uncomfortably, he tugged at his tie. It was too tight, made him feel like he was suffocating. _Is that right?_ he wondered. Is it really the tie that was suffocating him?

He turned nervously and glanced down at his wife-to-be. Thank God he's got the right one this time! She was uncharacteristically timid and demure today though, which unnerved him even more. She was dressed in a beautiful white wedding dress, as the tradition goes, and indeed a vision to behold. At least for now. Chiaki was very relieved that his bride did not insist on putting on the make-up herself. He shuddered at the image that sprung to his mind of a clown-woman every time she became when she was serious about putting on make-up. He could have never married her. No, wait he was still marrying the same woman, right? Suddenly, Chiaki wanted to make a beeline to the nearest toilet and throw up. It was that scary, marrying this hentai!

He couldn't wait for the ceremony to be over. This foreboding lodged in his heart, telling him that something terrible is going to happen, was driving him mad. Like he'd forgotten something important. It was impossible that Chiaki Shinichi would forget something, not to mention something important! Nodame was acting even weirder than usual by acting normal. Chiaki felt like he was in a limbo swirling round and round in a hazy world of his mind.

"…any impediment why…" the reverend began the final part of ceremony and Chiaki had a flash of déjà vu. Something was going to happen now!

"Stop the wedding!" the door to the wedding hall was kicked open boisterously accompanied by a high-pitched female voice.

"Sylvia!" Chiaki's jaw dropped and he paled visibly. So this was what Chiaki's subconscious had been waiting for!

"This wedding cannot go on," the intruder declared gravely.

"What are you doing here?" Nodame exclaimed in a shaky voice, her hand trembling.

"I'm ruining your wedding, of course."

"But Sylvia," Chiaki began but was interrupted by his enraged ex-fiancée.

"You, be quiet."

"Young Miss," the old reverend spoke tiredly. He'd probably never had any of his weddings interrupted in his long career! "May we hear the reason for this impediment?"

"Yes," she said, holding her head up high. "This man cannot marry the woman there."

"But why?" asked Nodame desperately.

"Because," said Sylvia and everyone concentrated on what she would say next. Chiaki gulped loudly and waited for the bomb to drop. Impossible, it was impossible that this was happening to him!

"Because he is already married to me!" with that, Sylvia thrust her hand forward for everyone to see the diamond wedding ring on her ring-finger. The guests Oh-ed in surprised while Chiaki screamed in horror, and Sylvia started to laugh like a witch, high and shrilly.

"It can't be!" he cried.

"You liar!" Sylvia yelled at him.

"Senpai…" Nodame's head drooped and the bouquet fell to the floor. "I've lost faith in you, senpai…"

"No, listen you fool!" he grabbed her arm roughly.

"If you thought that you can just get married without anything to inconvenience you, then you thought wrong!" Sylvia said.

"No, something must be wrong. I already broke off the engagement with you!" said Chiaki.

"What?" Sylvia was indignant. "So would you rather marry that Animal than me?"

"What animal," said Chiaki distractedly. "I'm getting married to Nodame!"

"Look closely, Shin," said Sylvia, with eerie smile and narrowed eyes. "That's a Mongoose you are holding in your hand."

Chiaki whipped around in shock and true enough, gone was the beautiful wedding dress and there stood a giant mongoose with a face that resembled Nodame.

"_Eek!_ Nodame!" he screamed and let go of her hand immediately.

"Senpai…. That is really disappointing…" she said dejectedly. "You let go so easily…"

"Wait, there must be an explanation for this."

"There's no excuse for two-timing, senpai…" she approached him in slow progression menacingly.

"I was not two-timing, you just listen…!" Chiaki waved his hands about to shield him. In the background Sylvia kept on laughing feverishly, like a witch on a Sabbath night. It was all becoming very surreal to him now.

"You will pay for your sin, senpai…."

"No, wait!" he was backed into a corner.

"_Saa_," Nodame-mongoose opened her arms with an unnatural expression on her face. "Let's march to the scaffold, senpai."

"What?" Chiaki nearly screeched. "Nodame, calm down!"

"Senpai…"

With the strange creature hovering ominously above him, Chiaki opened his eyes with a gasp. The first thing his eyes alighted on was the drooling face of Nodame sleeping with a silly smile, and reflexively he pushed her off him with all his might. She fell off the bed with a loud 'thump!'. Chiaki half raised himself from the bed and tried to calm his heavy breathing. _So it was only a dream after all!_ His mind screamed to himself. He was sick of dreaming of his weddings being ruined! Because it may only be a dream, but every time he dreams of them, it was real enough to scare him numb nuts! He let out a long breathe and Nodame's sleepy face peeked up from the floor.

"Eh….? What is it? Is it already breakfast time, senpai….?" she asked.

"No, no…" he replied distractedly. "Come up here, get some more sleep."

""Aw, senpai…" murmured Nodame, climbing back to his side on the bed clumsily. "Your sleeping habits have gotten so bad…"

"Yeah, yeah, now sleep."

"Hmm," Nodame nestled to his bare chest and laid her head on his arm. "Chiaki senpai's arm-pillow… So comfy…."

"Oi, I'll get cramp in my arm in the morning…"

She only giggled in reply and fell right back asleep. Chiaki gazed at her face, looking rather innocent and totally unconcerned. He poked her cheek with his pointer finger. She didn't stir. He took a pinch of her cheek between his fingers and pulled hard.

"What are you doing, senpai…?" whined Nodame. "Let me go back to sleep, please. I'm exhausted…"

He sighed. He'd have to call Sylvia tomorrow.

* * *

"I refuse!" Sylvia snapped with her nose high in the air.

"You were never in love with me," asked Chiaki, horrified. "Were you?"

"Of course not!" retorted an equally horrified Sylvia and he sighed long in relief.

"I thought so."

"Don't be relieved, you jerk!" she shrieked and slapped his arm.

"But still, you answered that rather too quickly with no hesitation at all, don't you think?"

"That does not mean you can be relieved to know that I am not in love with you," she said. "Well then, let's see what your answer would be like. Were you _ever_ in love with me?"

Chiaki seemed uncomfortable under her burning glare.

"Of course, I was…" he began. "Very fond of you…" he scratched his head. "Still very fond of you, I mean…"

"Right," said Sylvia and crossed her arms. She did not soften her glare.

"Right…" he said softly and sighed long again. "Sylvia, we both know that the whole marriage thing was a mistake. Well, at least I know it will be a mistake if we blindly went through with it. I know I cannot devote myself to you entirely and it won't be fair on you, who deserve someone more… loving than me. You are still young, very beautiful and charming. I'm sure there are hundreds of other guys who will make you happier than I ever would."

Chiaki thought he was speaking from deep down in his heart, but more and more he spoke, it became just like a textbook callous speech a guy usually makes when trying to break up with his girlfriend. He was not used to admitting he was in the wrong, and that was eating at his dignity too.

"That's all pretty and dandy, _Mister_," Sylvia countered angrily, her finger shaking at him in accusation. "But what are we going to do about hundreds of the wedding presents I've already accepted, huh? And the guests to whom we've already sent invitation cards? What in the name of all that's holy am I going to tell them, that I was jilted a week before the wedding?!"

"If you wish, you can tell them you dumped me…" said Chiaki, rather intimidated.

"And that will solve all the problems, right?!" she spat at him, livid with rage. "Oh, I just remembered, what am I ever going to do about the _Hello!_"

"Come again?"

"The Hello! you know, the Hello! magazine!"

"I still don't get it." Chiaki frowned and shook his head in confusion.

"You know, the magazine where they published the wedding pictures of Pamela Anderson and other celebrities _exclusively_!"

"You…" started Chiaki and squinted at her. "didn't by any chance invite the reporters to our wedding… Did you?"

"What am I gonna do, I've already received the deposit from them!" she was whining.

"You sold our wedding to a gossip magazine?" Chiaki blanched.

"They offered me fifteen-thousand pounds…" she pouted.

"Sylvia!"

"If I hadn't, then any ol' nosy tabloids could have published our pictures and without our consents at that! You don't want bad publicity, darling, do you?"

"I don't want any kind of publicity!" yelled Chiaki, his usual scruffy self finally surfacing. "Sylvia, listen, our marriage was not to be made into some kind of circus event, letting people who'd paid for the ticket enter and watch! You are not getting married just so that you can create another _scoop_ for reporters, gossipers and heaven knows who else. It is a serious business, and you'll be stuck with me for the rest of your life. And getting married to me wouldn't really bring much of glamour and fame you may be seeking. Are you still willing to go on with it?"

"For the rest of my life…?" Sylvia's eyes widened at the implication, as if she'd just realised it now.

"Yes, until death do us part," he told her gravely.

"But people are always getting divorced, and…"

"_I'm_ not getting married to get divorced," he was firm on this point. Sylvia seemed to slowly digest what he'd told her. Getting married had been fun with planning, wedding presents, people congratulating her, buying clothes and furniture! She'd been the centre of attention of everybody. Daddy was pleased with her beau, and showered her with presents – a new house, new car, new Gucci bag! Shin was affectionate and just as indulging as her father. It'd amused her to imagine herself the mistress of her own household. But she hadn't given a thought about what comes after that. When all the fuss and the excitement of wedding ceremony and honey moon period were over, what then? Would she still find her married state fun and exciting? She looked at Shinichi. He was as best as they come. He was tall and handsome, although Japanese, but that made him all the more exotic and mysterious. He was a world famous orchestra conductor, quite popular and high in demand in some quarters. He's always travelling to here and there for request to perform with different orchestra all over the world, and she thought… Sylvia originally thought that she'd have so much fun tagging along when he's in Paris, Prague, New York, Vienna or in Tokyo and go crazy with sightseeing and shopping… _Is that all she expected from this marriage? _But that was something she could still do without getting married to Shinichi. She had the money, the time and inclination. She had never wanted anything without getting it in her hands. Daddy would never deny his little princess anything. So the big question was, _did she really _want_ to get married to Shinichi Chiaki? _

"Hey," she said. "Say we just go through the ceremony for the heck of it, and announce that we are annulling our marriage straight after, then maybe we can beat Britney's…"

"No."

"But annulment is different from a divorce, and…"

"No, Sylvia," he shook his head firmly. "No."

Sylvia sighed and put her hands on her hips.

"You are not conceding very gracefully, are you?"

"There can be no compromise."

"I still don't like it that you are breaking our engagement for the _Other_."

"I," Chiaki had grace to blush. "I can't say how sorry I am, I really _am_ sorry, these past few weeks have been so unexpected and I'm still quite confused by my actions too, but…"

"Darling, spare me the excuses please!" she threw her hands in the air and shrugged. "It all just leads to declare what madness has driven you to ditch me and how it is a proof that you love her insanely."

"I wouldn't go that far, but if you wish…" he avoided looking straight at her. After a pause, she poked him in the side.

"So, you love her?" she asked.

"Huh?" he was startled by her question and blushed a deep red colour.

"So, Nodame was your college sweetheart but then you guys broke up a long time ago for a stupid reason, and when you met again, the old flames were set ablaze, burning hot enough to jilt a gorgeous twenty-two year-old fiancée in the process. Am I right?"

"More or less…" he looked slightly uncomfortable with the topic.

"Well, Shin," said Sylvia, amazed, and crossed her arms on her chest. "I didn't know you had it in you!"

"What?"

"Seriously. Do you know I've always felt that, while you seem to enjoy my company and indulge me, you were somewhat distant from me? You seemed cold and reserved at times, as if there was something that mere _me_ could never touch. You've never even said that you loved me, for Christ's sake! You just seemed to go with the flow, and I believed that was just your way. But now I learn it is not, I'm rather impressed."

She said all this with such indifference that Chiaki was flustered.

"Actually, it _is_ my way," he said hurriedly. "I don't, I mean, I'm not really communicative when it comes to my feelings, I guess, I er convey them better through music, and you erm…"

"I'm not that great on your kinds of music," Sylvia finished for him. "I see, no wonder you connect better with Nodame. She understands your music. She weeps at it."

Chiaki didn't know how to answer to that.

"Really, Sylvia, it's not you, it's me and-."

"Stop!" she yelled. "I don't want a pity party from you. Now I understand your position and I am persuaded."

"Then…?"

"I officially agree to terminate our engagement."

"Sylvia…."

He was speechless for a moment. He was trying to fight the feeling of relief and exhilaration from showing on his face, and noticing this, Sylvia glared at him. Chiaki laughed nervously.

"Maybe I said yes too easily…" said Sylvia, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, believe me, it's been a nightmare for me! Quite literally."

"You are so earnest," surprisingly, Sylvia giggled. Chiaki stared at her.

"You know," he said. "You are actually taking this much better than I'd expected. I was ready to face one or two tantrums coming from you, like last time in my flat. You are actually more mature than you let on."

"Just how many boyfriends do you think I've had before I met you?" smile Sylvia, and her smile was genuine.

"Is that right," retorted Shinichi in a similar teasing tone, "Miss Popular and Sophisticated?"

Then Chiaki realised why he stuck with Sylvia for this long, even getting himself into a betrothal. She was sassy and funny, full of young energy which he lacked at that point of time. Maybe he was on rebound since Nodame had left him, but he'd probably have ended up with someone like Sylvia had he never met Nodame. As they looked at each other, their smiles faded gradually and Sylvia noticed Chiaki's hands fidgeting at his side. _He must be wondering how to say goodbye_, she thought. Without further ado, she stepped in and gave him a tight hug. He was shocked initially, but soon leaned into her embrace.

"I've been very happy for the past two years, Shin. Among all the boyfriends and suitors, you were the first one that ever made me even consider marriage."

"I know."

"Still, I'm too young to be shackled for life to a middle-age man like you, I guess."

"Ouch."

"Oh, and you are not allowed to appear in public with Nodame for at least nine months!"

"Huh?" he pulled back, and Sylvia slowly disengaged herself from him.

"Well, if you go around with her right after we announce our wedding cancellation, then people will begin to speculate and gossip that I was dumped. Now, we can't have that, can we?"

"Of course…" said Chiaki slowly. He thought that although Nodame has agreed to get back with him again, it'll be months, maybe even years before she is ready to perform in public, so that won't be a problem. Then he realised his head was still full of Nodame even at times like this, and felt remorseful for Sylvia.

"Take care of yourself," he said.

"You too," she was still smiling.

"Well, then, I guess this is goodbye."

"Yup, farewell."

Sylvia patted his shoulder lightly and turned to walk away. She rubbed under her nose to hide a sniffle that was nearly building up, but she did not cry. _Yes_, she thought instead, _perhaps it was time to buy a new Gucci bag. _

* * *

**A/N**: Phew, finally! It was actually much more difficult than I'd thought to get rid of Sylvia! If you are any decent man, you don't go breaking off engagement days before the wedding, you know! Movies nowadays have made it look too easy... I thought of making Sylvia throw a tantrum for some comical effect, but I suddenly decided to go in this vein. As some of you have commented, Sylvia is not a total bitch, I guess. No way Chiaki'd be with her if she was...

Okay, there's an epilogue... which will be uploaded tomorrow! (Sorry!)_  
_


	15. Epilogue

Whoa, shocked? Me too! Hello, dear readers. It has been ages. Really. Excuses? Well... you know the usual... Life, life, life! You wouldn't believe the changes I'd experienced (I moved, as in I moved over continents, from Europe to Africa, and now to Asia!) and things I'd learned. A small portion of it? It's truly hard to earn your keep! And that kills all the inspiration you might have to write. I've come to respect and admire all those writers who start writing in their free times, after finishing work. It's a whole lot different world to being a student. Enough excuses. I've actually had this written a long time ago, but because there had been a big gap between this and the last chapters, I felt the style and feeling of the writing too different and not continuous. So I didn't know what to do with this. :S Still dun like it, but anything's better than an unfinished story. A very big thanks to everyone who enjoyed reading this, and who left kind words. I had a lot of fun writing this. Would I write again...? Well... If I can get my head out of numbers and PO's and buyers and contracts! Cheers, everyone!

* * *

**Epilogue**

"_How much do you love me?" Midori asked.  
"Enough to melt all the tigers in the world to butter," I said  
– Norwegian Wood: Murakami Haruki – _

Chiaki blew out a long breathe of cigarette smoke. The summer in Tokyo was still too humid for his liking, but he had no complaints. He couldn't possibly complain when he was in Tokyo with Nodame, in her apartment, while lost hopes and despair all dissolved into a past now forgotten. G. K. Chesterton was right; the most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen. Nodame was tinkering away on her piano in the background, and to be able to smoke while listening to her playing again was miraculous enough for Chiaki. Unfortunately, however, the miracle did not extend to Nodame's increase in her hygiene awareness, and the first thing he had to do when they arrived was to dust, vacuum, and sweep the entire house! Again, he had no complaints. Rather, he cleaned her house with a renewed relish. It felt like paying back for everything he couldn't do for her for all these years.

He hadn't been back to Tokyo for more than 8 years now, and he hardly recognised anything here. The streets, buildings, even the people seemed somewhat different. They looked vibrant and less afraid to express themselves. Chiaki also felt the young energy lifting his spirit up as well. He stubbed his cigarette with a faint smile and went back into the house.

"Nodame," he called, interrupting one of Chopin's nocturnes. "Aren't you hungry? Shall I cook something?"

Nodame stopped playing and gasped loudly. "Gyabo, senpai, you are being so nice to Nodame! I wonder if the Sun will rise from the west tomorrow?"

"What are you talking about?" growled Chiaki, as he moved to the kitchen and Nodame followed him. It wasn't like he was trying to be consciously nicer to her. He has always been a nice affectionate guy... Right?  
"I'm talking about cleaning Nodame's house and volunteering to cook for her and everything else! Senpai didn't really have to come back to Japan with Nodame, did he? Nodame already told you that after taking care of a few things, Nodame'll be back in London in no time at all."

"Hmm…." Chiaki couldn't for the life of him confess to her that he was afraid he might lose sight of her again, that he'd been insecure. _He_, Chiaki Shinichi, being insecure over a woman? She had enough leverage over him as it was already. He put on an apron without giving her a look.

"Slacking your work too…" Nodame muttered somewhat darkly. "If senpai doesn't work hard, then who is going to put bread on our table and support the two of us? Nodame's meagre wages barely meet the rent here, you know."

"I'm on a holiday!" he said indignantly. What more did this girl expect from him? "We specifically stay over at my place for a month longer so that I can finish marking the compositions of final years, remember? We had the graduation concert, the college was let out and the LSO invited that young conductor from Germany for the summer season, so that I can finally take that long overdue holiday, to visit the family back in hometown. _Remember_?"

"Senpai," Nodame shook her head. "If you are not careful, you will be taken over by the more talented and energetic youngsters very soon. You are not young anymore, so you can't insist on being a young genius conductor anymore."

"Stop talking as if I am an old geezer already!"

"Senpai," she continued remorselessly. "I don't know if I can still be in love with you if you are not what you are right now anymore."

"Seriously," Chiaki sighed, putting down the kitchen knife and a potato he was just about to peel off. "I really don't know what you are talking about."

Suddenly Nodame's face turned serious and she looked straight into Chiaki's eyes.

"Senpai, Nodame can't help but wonder," she said. "If Nodame never got to play the piano again, would senpai still have loved Nodame as she is now? If, what if Nodame just became a kindergarten teacher in the end? Would senpai still be with Nodame?"

Chiaki was bereft of any words to say, and he crossed his arms on his chest as he turned to face her, leaning his back against the kitchen counter.

"Why do you ask that?"

"Sometimes, Nodame just wonders. I can't be sure, you know? Isn't it just Nodame's piano that senpai loves? So if Nodame didn't have her piano, then someone so great and successful like senpai would never look at Nodame for a second time."

"Nodame…" he said and tried to reach his hand out to her, but she waved it off.

"Those days in Paris, thoughts like these would drive Nodame crazy until I couldn't sleep. I loved the piano, but I did not like to labour for it. I was happy when I was making music but to make it perfect in _your_ standard, I was miserable. Because you have to admit, senpai, your standard is really very high…"

"I… didn't know that was what you were thinking…" Chiaki bit his lip.

"But my only goal was to perform with you on stage, senpai. I toiled away my time and spilled blood and sweat, just so that I could become someone who befitted the prodigy like senpai. Then I was still happy, because I had a goal, and senpai was there at the end of my goal."

Chiaki was more than surprised by this sudden onslaught of honesty from her, but he couldn't listen to her anymore without at least trying to give her some comfort. He grabbed her wrist and this time, Nodame leaned into his embrace without resistance. She was finally in his arms, and he tightened his hold as if to say that he's never letting go again. Nodame's shoulders were smaller than he'd remembered, and they were shaking piteously.

"But that was not enough," she continued, sobbing into his chest. "Nodame also realised that I shouldn't devote my everything just so that I can perform with senpai, but purely for the sake of being a better concert pianist. But still, senpai was all I could see, and senpai was all I could follow. I couldn't change that."

"It's alright now, it's alright…" murmuring softly into her ears, he patted her head. "I'm still here…"

"But I was so scared that time! Nodame's wrist had swollen to twice its size and every time Nodame's finger pressed on a key, it hurt so much. What if the doctors told me I could never play the piano again? Would senpai still have stayed with Nodame? Even if she became useless as a pianist?"

"Don't say useless!" he cried out and clung to her. "You idiot, don't speak as if you are worthless like that! You are not useless, you are an amazing pianist who brings life and colour to every sound around you!"

"But senpai," she pushed herself from him violently. Tears streaked down her cheeks. "What senpai wants, in the end, is the _amazing pianist_ Nodame, not the mediocre nobody who happened to know how to play a bit of piano. That time in Paris, Nodame was so confused and scared stiff! It was my music that attracted you in the first place, senpai, so what would happen to us if I lost it?"

"I don't know!" he cried again and pulled her back into his arms with equal violence. "I don't know all the answers to 'what ifs', alright? All I know is that your music is like that because you are Nodame. Do you understand me?"

"No!" she sobbed out in anguish. "I don't have any idea what you are talking about!"

"You are too stupid to understand me, so stop trying and just trust me," Chiaki told her calmly, stroking down her back as if trying to humour a sulky kitty. "Why are you so anxious all of sudden? You were perfectly fine while we were staying in London."

"Nodame doesn't understand either," she whined slightly. "I guess coming back to Japan and back to my apartment has kind of awakened reality in me…"

"And that reality has made you to question my intention towards you…?" he asked tentatively and Nodame laughed drily.

"I don't know what's gotten into my head…"

"Yeah," he chuckled too, but with more humour. "I never really know what's going on in your head, you weirdo."

"Nodame is not a weirdo," she complained. "I don't know, senpai, maybe Nodame's playing is still easy on the ears and senpai is probably biased because you are so in love with Nodame…"

"Have some shame before you spew out things like that from your mouth!" he shouted in her ears.

"I don't know, senpai," she continued, ignoring his outburst. "I don't know if senpai still wants to perform with someone like Nodame-"

"You know I do," Chiaki interrupted her firmly.

"-and if you do, I don't know when I can be ready to perform on stage with you; it could take months, maybe even years."

"That's making you so insecure like this?" Chiaki sounded amused.

"I don't know senpai," she replied hopelessly, slouching against his chest with her arms loosely hanging on Chiaki's shoulders. "Nodame doesn't understand anything now."

"Then just as I said, stop trying to understand anything with that small head of yours. Unlike you, I am not so singular minded as to think that the sole purpose of our… relationship is to perform a concerto together on stage."

He straightened himself and pulled Nodame up to face him.

"Stop drooling on me," he said, rubbing the spot where Nodame's mouth had just been resting, "and listen carefully, because I am not going to repeat myself, ever."

Nodame looked all seriousness. Chiaki drew in a long breathe.

"It's true, I love your piano. Whenever I hear you play, I think I am transported to another world where only music and you exist, just where I wish to be. But your talent and techniques, as you so cockily like to boast about, are not all about your music. It's your personality, your experience so far, your background that make up your music and give it your colour. In short, what I'm trying to say, I guess, is, that," he faltered slightly after all the courage he'd shown in confessing so far. He drew in another long breathe to fortify himself. "Even if another girl with the same amount of talent and techniques as you came along, I wouldn't have, erm, begun a relationship with her just for that. I mean… I'm not with you because of your prowess as a pianist has power to bring me to tears, but because you are you. Weird, quirky and unpredictable as you are, if that's how you are made then I'm fine with it, as long as I can be your companion and inspiration in sharing the same love we have for music. Isn't that enough?"

A short pause followed his grand confession. Nodame could say nothing, but blink her eyes several times in utter astonishment. Chiaki senpai had rarely been so open-hearted with her regarding their relationship, and for him to bare his heart so completely to her truly meant a lot to her.

"So, senpai…" she began slowly, when it was obvious that he expected some sort of answer to him. "What you are trying to say is that you just love Nodame so much, just as she is, that you would die if you can't be with Nodame for the rest of his life, right?"

"How did my pure and whole-hearted once in a life time confession become a part of cheesy third rated romance novel?"

Nodame giggled.

"Cheesy third rated romance novels can do wonders to your soul," she replied.

"I should have known," Chiaki sighed in resignation, and pushed her away from his chest. "I've said it anyways, so you'd better take it to your heart."

He raised his fist to rap her head lightly with his knuckles, when she rammed herself into his chest, nearly knocking him over. Chiaki stumbled against the sink.

"I have, senpai," she cried. "I have taken them to heart. Your words are like balm to wounded soul, much, _much_ better than third rated romance novels. Nodame would like that also, be a part of senpai's world of music."

"I'd hoped you'd say that…" he smiled and patted her head instead.

"And Nodame will work hard! She will practice day and night to catch up with you! Nodame had more raw talent to begin with anyways, so it'll just be a matter of time."

"But seriously," he told her sternly. "Can you do something about your personality? It's kind of annoying me right now."

"But you love me just as I am!" she was grinning widely and snuggling closer to him.

"Now I see what a mistake I've made," sighed Chiaki, tightening his arms around her nonetheless. It just felt so right to have her in his arms. "You will hold it against me for eternity."

"For eternity…" Nodame pulled back and looked up at him shyly. She was blushing rather uncharacteristically, and her lips parted a little in smile. Chiaki stared into her eyes mesmerised. They fluttered then closed at that moment, and he knew what she wanted even without her tilting her head and standing on tip-toes. He raised his hand to her soft cheek, cupping it and rubbed his thumb over the cheekbone. His other hand that had been circled around her waist also came up to hold her neck and he leaned in closer to kiss her. For eternity, they will be together.

"Maybe we should just do it, then" he said softly, when they parted.

"Huh? Do what, senpai?"

"You know," he coughed and covered his mouth with his fingers.

"Get married," he mumbled.

Nodame whipped her head up at that and stared at her beloved who had his face turned the other way. Her jaw dropped and she kept staring. She was so quiet, and that unnerved Chiaki to no end. He frowned and coughed again, before saying, "what, you don't want to?"

Nodame choked on air: "Senpai! I can't believe you did this to me!"

"What?" scowled Chiaki.

"If you were proposing, I wish you'd do it properly! One knee on the floor, a rose in your mouth, and a huge diamond ring in your hand!"

"Are you confusing yourself with a princess or something?" Chiaki tutted his tongue.

"But senpai…!" whine Nodame.

"We are not getting any younger," he continued. "And I am quite sick of having nightmares about my wedding day. I should just get over with the real one so that I wouldn't dream about it anymore."

"Senpai, is that really why you want to marry Nodame?" she was nearly in tears now.

"But you were being so insecure, I thought if we just marry then you'd be more at ease…"

"It's enough, senpai, please don't talk anymore, you get worse and worse," said Nodame, getting up from his embrace and made to wipe her eyes. "You are an enemy to a Maiden Heart!"

"Maiden?" Chiaki chuckled, grabbing her hand and pulling her to him again. "Aren't you talking about a Spinster's old Heart? Surely, you are not referring to yourself as a _Maiden_?"

"Mukya! Senpai, you idiot!" she yelled and struggled, but he held her firmly around her waist and buried his face in her hair.

"Come on, Nodame," he whispered rather shyly. "Say yes."

Nodame was stilled by the seriousness of his tone. She stopped moving and turned in his arms, raising Chiaki's face to her eye level. He was blushing profusely, his gaze lowered to the floor. Nodame had never seen her beloved senpai so humble and embarrassed, and she did not like to think she was the cause of his present state. She liked him to be just as arrogant and confident as he always was, so she had to do something to restore him back to normality. Yes, it was just an excuse for her to kiss him then and there, but he looked so adorable! And his lips were warm. And responsive. And _enthusiastic, _pressing hard against her as if trying to meld them into one being. Nodame could feel her heart rate increase exponentially and shivered involuntarily when Chiaki's light fingers traced little patterns on her back under the blouse. She was going to be Chiaki senpai's bride! She'd been dreaming about it ever since she'd first met him back in college! Her face flushed hot as she felt his warm hand moving towards her stomach. And she was agreeable to whatever senpai might have in mind.

"Mum will be pleased," said Chiaki, his now affianced's head tucked under his chin and her limbs draping his body. "She might actually talk to me with some civility now that we are back together…"

"Seiko-Mama…" Nodame replied dreamily.

"She won't listen to me when I told her it was _you_ who dumped me."

Nodame made a sympathetic noise and giggled guiltily.

"Can we go and see my family soon?" asked Nodame and he groaned loudly.

"I'm not really looking forward to meeting your family again," he confessed. "Last time I made the phone call, they were more than hostile to me…"

"Don't mind them," she said airily. "When they find out that we are getting married, they'll be overjoyed. They had probably given up on Nodame ever getting married, you know."

"Mother once told me, a long time ago, that you were my Angel," he continued, after a short pause. "But all I could think of was how very far you are from an Angel."

"An Angel, eh…?" said Nodame. She still had that dreamy look on her.

"I am saying that you are not an angel at all," he told her irritatingly.

"Yes, Nodame must be an Angel, to save poor senpai from the despairs of horrible marriage and deteriorating soul."

"Are you even listening…?" he asked, pulling at her ear.

"Angelic Nodame…."

"Cheeky," said Chiaki.


End file.
